Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza on Feb. 18 announced that a grand jury has indicted 19 Austin Police Department officers in connection with the May 2020 racial injustice protests that occurred in the Texas state capital.
The officers in question are accused of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The deaths of George Floyd and Mike Ramos under police custody prompted the protests.
The Travis County DA Civil Rights Unit handles the slew of excessive use-of-force cases stemming from the demonstrations, according to Austin NBC affiliate KXAN.
“Our community is safer when our community trusts enforcement,” Garza said, according to the station. “When it believes law enforcement follows that law and protects the people who live here. There cannot be trust if there is no accountability when law enforcement breaks the law.”
KXAN reported that Austin Chief of Police Joseph Chacon expressed extreme disappointment in Garza’s comments during the announcement of the indictments.
According to Chacon, the officers were placed in a chaotic situation in which there were thousands of protesters when his department was prepared for hundreds.
The chief told the station the officers endured various projectiles thrown in their direction.
“I believe in many instances that officers were simply attempting to protect themselves and other protest participants,” Chacon said, KXAN reported. “I am not aware of any conduct that given the circumstances that the officers were working under would rise to the level of a criminal violation by these officers.”
Garza asserted the information laid out in the indictments is “disturbing.”
Justin Berry is one of the indicted officers.
He’s a Republican running for the Texas House of Representatives.
The Texas Tribune reported that Berry said in a statement issued to the media that he and the officers “will be acquitted.”
