A noise complaint at a large party in an unincorporated area of Webster Parish escalated into a confrontation that led to the arrest of a resident on charges including multiple counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
Webster Parish Sheriff Jason Parker said Steven Charles Toms, 47, was arrested early Thursday and taken to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center after deputies charged Toms with violation of the parish’s noise ordinance and five counts of aggravated assault with a firearm.
The incident began with complaints about loud music from an outdoor party. Deputies arrived to find a large crowd and hazardous parking. Toms, the party host, had not obtained a permit for the event, which was advertised as “It’s Up,” featuring a DJ and a notice to “BYOE” (Bring Your Own Everything), with admission fees being charged. Parish ordinance requires permits for gatherings of 250 or more, with appropriate security.
Despite the flyer mentioning “Security Strictly Enforced,” no security was present when deputies arrived. When deputies requested the music be turned off, Toms became aggressive, demanding they leave his property.
Parker stated, “Our deputies did not pull their weapons in response because of the large crowd, including many juveniles, present in the immediate vicinity. We did an amazing job of maintaining order and de-escalating what had the potential to be a dangerous or even deadly situation.”
After shutting down the party, deputies later obtained an arrest warrant for Toms, following a post-incident review and discussions with the District Attorney’s office. A search warrant executed at Toms’ residence led to the recovery of the 9MM handgun involved in the incident.
Parker commended his deputies, saying, “No one was hurt, and that’s always the goal in a situation like this. Our guys resolved a situation that could have gotten out of hand.”
