Police: Friendswood teenager faces blindness after chemical weapons attack by person he trusted

FRIENDSWOOD, Texas (KTRK) – A Friendswood teenager could potentially go blind if chemicals are poured into his eyes.

According to Friendswood police, the alleged attack was carried out by someone the victim described as a friend.

17-year-old Branden Jolly is now facing assault and obstruction charges because the victim, 18-year-old Brody Morgan, is autistic.

“Autistic children don’t always know how to choose good friends,” said Amy Morgan, the victim’s mother.

On the afternoon of May 20, Brody was walking through his Friendswood neighborhood with two teenagers from school. His mother said they returned home in a panic with their screaming son.

“All I heard was that a substance was thrown in his face, which I was told was salt,” Amy Morgan said.

She said she tried flushing his eyes with water and then saline solution, but nothing seemed to help. It wasn’t until she put her son in the car that she learned the full story.

Brody claimed one of the teens stole a package from a house down the street. He said Jolly decided to open it and inside was a tube of powder.

According to court documents, Jolly poured the powder on Brody’s shirt, causing Brody to push Jolly away. Police said this prompted Jolly to throw the powder in Brody’s face.

“We went to the emergency room and they immediately realized it wasn’t salt, and they kept trying to get me to guess what it was, and I had no idea,” Amy Morgan said.

Doctors later discovered that the chemical in Brody’s eyes was a drain cleaner.

ABC13 spoke to Jolly’s mother by phone. Although she wasn’t there, she believes the incident was a terrible accident.

She said the substance fell from her son’s hand after Brody “attacked” him.

“She’s his mother. She’s going to try to protect her son and I don’t blame her,” Amy Morgan said, adding that she feels for Jolly and his family. “I know this must all be hard for them, but they don’t have to deal with a child who may lose his eyesight or have burns on his face.”

Brody’s injuries are very serious and his recovery is unpredictable.

“The kinds of chemicals that were there can still break down today,” Amy Morgan said.

Court documents show that the other teen told police that Jolly threw the substance intentionally. Those documents also show that the packaging was clearly labeled “drain cleaner.”

Jolly’s family sent a statement to ABC13 that read in part:

“Our family is very saddened by the details of this case, for both families. I am very saddened by the entire incident and my sincere condolences go out to Brody and his family. I believe this incident was NOT a result of malicious intent on the part of my son to harm his friend, but an accident that was the result of the decisions made by everyone involved.”

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