Charges for Eighth Street shootings send shockwaves among law enforcement.
Austin continues to address the excessive force used by police during 2020'sOn Thursday, Travis County District Attorneyannounced that an unspecified number of Austin police officers would be indicted in coming days for seriously injuring protesters over the weekend of May 30-31, 2020. Police union presidenthas put the number at 19; the Associated Press has reported that the charges will be aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
News of the indictments was preceded by the City Council’s vote to approve $10 million to settle civil cases brought by two other protesters,. Evans was shot in the jaw and endured multiple, painful surgeries to repair the damage. Howell spent weeks in the ICU with a severe brain injury after being shot in the side of the head; he continues to deal with issues related to the shooting.
The indictments have sent tsunami-level shockwaves through the state’s law enforcement establishment. When thepresident said it felt like the department and its officers were living through “attempted political assassination.” Casaday believes that the indictments represent the largest number brought against any American city’s police force at one time in history. It is the largest number yet stemming from the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests across the nation.
Any indictments will heighten the anxiety of our officers and will impact the staffing shortages we are experiencing. We are disappointed to be in this position, and we do not believe that criminal indictments of the officers working under very difficult circumstances is the correct outcome. – City Manager Spencer Cronk