After Ignoring Violent Protesters, Garza Indicted 19 Officers for Performing Riot Control
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN, Texas – Nonpartisan Save Austin Now PAC released a statement following the outrageous development that Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza secured 19
criminal indictments against Austin Police Officers, charging them with aggravated assault for lawfully responding to protests which became violent after the killing of George Floyd. An internal Austin Police Department investigation found that no APD procedure was violated.Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon called the indictments, ‘extremely disappointing’, and put these officers on administrative duty with pay pending their court proceedings, which are expected to last at least one year.
“District Attorney Garza has violated his oath and inappropriately used his prosecutorial discretion by indicting 19 police officers for doing their jobs during violent protests that were destroying our city,” said Save Austin Now PAC co-founders Matt Mackowiak and Cleo Petricek.
“We do not believe Garza intends to seek convictions or will secure them, based on the facts of the case. Instead, his real goal is to declare war on the Austin Police Department, making recruitment and retention impossible and sapping the will of officers who are asking to work overtime and serve special duty during upcoming special events like the Austin Marathon or SXSW.
"The Austin Police Department is 230 officers down from when the council voted 11-0 to cut one-third of its budget in 2020. They are losing 15 officers each month on average to attrition," noted Mackowiak and Petricek.
"We are already facing the most profound staffing crisis in Austin history during the worst violent crime wave in Austin history. And now these indictments will make every officer think twice before agreeing to respond in a crisis or serve an overtime shift.
"There were 29 separate incidents of protesters violently attacking police officers during these very same riots, and none are currently facing charges. At least 12 officers suffered significant injuries. The highest-ranking law enforcement officer in Travis County is required to apply the law fairly. He is violating his oath.
"The Austin community must rise up and fight this injustice,” said the Save Austin Now co-founders.
