A grand jury indicts multiple Austin police officers for injuries during 2020 protests

[Jilly_in_VA]

A Travis County grand jury is expected to indict "multiple" Austin Police officers accused of injuring people during the 2020 protests over the killing of George Floyd.

In announcing the indictments, Travis County District Attorney José Garza said "multiple indictments will be forthcoming in the days ahead,” but did not specify how many. The Austin American-Statesman reports 19 police officers have been indicted.

“An indictment handed down by a grand jury is a preliminary decision that probable cause exists to believe a crime was committed,” Garza said during a news conference Thursday. “It is not a statement as to the guilt or innocence of any person indicted. That determination will not be made until much later in the process.”

A Travis County special grand jury had been tasked with deciding whether there was probable cause to find law enforcement officers acted criminally during the 2020 protests. Garza said Thursday the jury had concluded its work and that indictments were expected, though they couldn't be made public until the officers were booked in the county jail.

Garza described the facts discovered during the investigation as “disturbing.”

https://www.kut.org/crime-justice/2022-02-17/watch-live-da-to-announce-indictments-of-austin-police-for-injuries-during-2020-protests

[TexasTowelie]

1. One of the officers that was indicted is running for election to the Texas House.

Texas House candidate Justin Berry is among Austin officers indicted on excessive force charges, union president says

Republican Texas House candidate Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers indicted Thursday and accused of using excessive force during 2020 protests, Austin Police Association president Kenneth Casaday told The Texas Tribune.

The indictments, which have not yet been made publicly available, stem from the 2020 protests in Austin after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd, an unarmed Black man. In Austin, protesters were also spurred by the local police killing of Michael Ramos, an unarmed Black and Hispanic man, which took place a month before Floyd’s murder. The officer, Christopher Taylor, has been charged with murder.

Berry’s attorney declined to confirm or deny his indictment Thursday, and it is unknown what specifically prompted his indictment. The cases against the Austin officers could take months or years to resolve. The Austin American-Statesman first reported that Berry was among those indicted.

Berry is one of four Republicans seeking the GOP nomination in the March 1 primary election for Texas House District 19, a district west of Austin that includes Fredericksburg, Boerne and Burnet. It was not immediately clear how the indictment would affect his campaign.

More at https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/17/austin-police-indictments-justin-berry/ .

[Jilly_in_VA]

2. Because of course

Law-n-order 'n shit.