WICHITA FALLS (KFDX/KJTL) — A man with 9 prior convictions is charged with firing a shot in the parking lot of a bar during a fight involving several people.

Ujamaa Ballard, 26, of Wichita Falls, is charged with discharging a firearm in a municipality.

Police responded to reports of a fight and gunshots at Players Lounge at 413 Galveston Street at about 2:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 29, 2023.

According to authorities, the manager at Player’s Lounge told police a Black male had fired a shot and then left the scene in a Black Chevy Cruz.

A witness told police her brother was being jumped by Ballard and a Hispanic male in the parking lot and she joined the fight to help her brother and that Ballard then pulled out a handgun and shot a round in the air and made a threat.

Police said they found one shell casing at the scene. The suspect’s vehicle was spotted by Wichita County deputies at Alma and Huff and Ballard was taken into custody.

A search of court records revealed Ballard has a pending charge of assault of a pregnant person that allegedly took place in 2021.

Police said the victim and Ballard began arguing over details of their planned baby gender reveal party and the victim had her head slammed into the center console of a car and later at home he punched her in the face and slammed her head into a door.

Police said the victim had a lump under her eye and a knot on the back of her head.

Among Ballard’s convictions is one for escape in 2015 in which police say he was being taken into custody for an investigation of a stolen gun.

According to authorities, police said Ballard fled on foot and was caught and then ran again when they tried to put him the back of the police car.

As they pursued him on foot, they say he turned around to look and ran directly into a parked police car. Officers say they found the stolen gun in his pocket.