Ex-Turnstile guitarist Brady Ebert has told the court that the recent altercation he had with William Yates, the father of Turnstile vocalist Brendan Yates, was “pure self-defense.” According to The Baltimore Banner, the 33-year-old Ebert made the claim following his arrest for a March 29th, 2026 incident in which he has been accused of running over 79-year-old William Yates in his 2001 Buick LeSabre. Ebert remains in custody over the matter and was charged with attempted second-degree murder and first-degree assault.
Ebert is quoted as telling a district court commissioner that surveillance video of the incident would contradict the police’s accounting of the matter, stating, “I’m sorry, but this is pure self-defense. I was straight-up attacked.” A bail hearing held earlier this month saw Assistant State’s Attorney Dominic Plantamura argue that Ebert should remain in custody and characterized the incident as “a clearly targeted attack” on William. The Judge ultimately denied bail for Ebert. He is next expected in court in May.
Citing footage from a neighbors residence, the police report alleged that Ebert drove up to the Yates residence and began honking and shouting obscenities at the daughter of William, her husband and their young children. Police contend that the footage saw William come down the driveway, seemingly to wave off Ebert, with Ebert later swerving at William. In response, William is said to have grabbed a rock from his driveway and thrown it at Ebert‘s car, hitting it in a rear door.
Per the police report, this caused Ebert to reverse the car, and ultimately veer directly at William at a high rate of speed, striking him and breaking his leg to the point a bone was exposed. Ebert is alleged to have later told William he “deserved it” while William was awaiting medical attention. Ebert is said to have left the scene and was later arrested.
The Yates family later told police that this incident was the latest in a string of altercations involving Ebert. They claimed on March 13th, Ebert pulled up near William on the sidewalk to shout obscenities at him, before making a three-point turn and swerving at him, flipping him the finger. It is also alleged that several days later, Ebert pulled up to the Yates residence and shouted obscenities at William‘s wife and one of her friends as they sat outside.
Ebert was ejected from Turnstile in 2022, with several members of the band unsuccessfully attempting to file lasting peace orders against him at the time. The Baltimore Banner have newly published audio from those legal proceedings, with Brendan Yates telling the court of Ebert in 2022:
“Over the last couple years, his behavior has kind of elevated to a point, including heavy drug use and a lot of factors that have made him pretty unreliable. And with recent threats, we feel it’s for our safety to file this peace order to neutralize potential threats to our physical safety.”
Brendan Yates further testified at the time that Ebert had threatened the band with violence if they didn’t pay him $10,000, and that Ebert had allegedly been spotted creeping around William‘s residence at 8 in the morning. Brendan also alleged threatening language was used in text communications made by Ebert.
Turnstile drummer Daniel Fang was another of the bandmembers who sought to have a peace order instated against Ebert in 2002. At The time he stated:
“Our evaluation is that he’s become resentful. He’s been spiraling with his acute drug use. In a group chat that was addressed to all of us, he threatened our safety.”
The 2022 hearings also outlined that Brendan and his Turnstile bandmates claimed to have staged an intervention of sorts, encouraging Ebert to go to rebab, a suggestion Ebert is said to have not agreed with. While the band were granted brief temporary peace orders, lasting peace orders against Ebert were ultimately denied, with the judge citing concerns over the time that had passed between Ebert‘s last communications and the request for the peace orders.
Per The Baltimore Banner, Ebert‘s Baltimore MD residence faced foreclosure in 2024. The property ultimately sold for $175,000. The aforementioned publication cited court records that Ebert indicated his financial situation was in part because, “the band that pays me royalties is stealing from me.”
Ebert and Brendan had previously told the press they were childhood friends. At the time of his arrest, Ebert was listed as residing at his father’s house, which the police report indicated was on the same street as the Yates residence where the incident took place.
The incident between Ebert and William followed various negative commentary shared on social media towards Turnstile by Ebert this year, including alleged disparaging remarks and more. While Turnstile remained silent amid the barbs being directed their way, they publicly condemned Ebert following his arrest for the incident involving William.
In early February of this year, Ebert was fired from his new band The S.E.T., with the band stating, “We will not stand by his ridiculous comments and behavior toward the members of our band and our community.”
Ebert had since went on to form a new group dubbed Experience. That outfit recently communicated they intend to release their debut effort, seemingly with Ebert‘s already recorded contributions in place.
