Latest news with #AustinPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
City of Austin reiterates importance of ‘peaceful and safe assembly' ahead of Saturday protest
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The city of Austin is continuing to reinforce the importance of a 'peaceful and safe assembly' as a scheduled protest in the city is expected to kick off at 5 p.m. Saturday at the Texas Capitol. This comes after the city held a press conference Thursday to discuss its preparations for planned protests happening over the weekend. What we know about how the Texas National Guard trains for protests, what they'll bring That conference was held following an anti-ICE protest on Monday, where the Austin Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety arrested 13 people. As of Friday, two of those arrested had their charges dropped, according to KXAN's Brianna Hollis. The protest happening Saturday is organized by Hands Off Central Texas, which is scheduled as part of a national day of action. It is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Furthermore, the city said there 'will be an increased presence of officers to assist with community safety and traffic management on Saturday.' 'The Austin Police Department fully supports and upholds the constitutional right to peacefully assemble and the freedom of the press,' Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said in the release. 'As always, our priority is to ensure the safety of all individuals present, including demonstrators, bystanders and our officers. It is the responsibility of the Austin Police Department to preserve the peace and protect life and property.' Group claims Lockhart judge threatened arrests for 'No Kings' parade plans According to the city, event organizers have said they will make announcements throughout the protest so that everyone in attendance can stay informed, which includes the ending time and important safety reminders. The announcements will have guidance to encourage attendees 'to exit the grounds safely upon the conclusion of the event in an orderly manner.' The city said 'Capitol grounds will close promptly at 8 p.m.' Those who need to exit the area should plan ahead. Here is the following guidance the city has given to safely exit: Identify a safe, reliable way to leave the area. Expect heavy vehicle and pedestrian traffic before, during and after the event. Consider shared transportation, biking, walking, or CapMetro, which will be running additional routes and extended service to accommodate increased demand. 'We also want to reiterate that unlawful or violent behavior initiated by agitators will be addressed accordingly. Anyone engaging in actions that threaten public safety or target members of the community or law enforcement will be held accountable,' the city said. The city said it is 'committed to working with the community, organizers, and members of the press to ensure a peaceful and safe assembly.' 'I encourage and trust the people of Austin to let their voices be heard peacefully and in the right way. This is Austin. We're passionate and have strong points of view about human rights and protecting our democracy,' Mayor Kirk Watson said in the release. 'We also have a strong tradition of gathering to express our opinions in the capital city of this state. We know how to celebrate our democracy without participating in chaos.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Fox News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Blue city joins LA chaos as anti-ICE agitators injure officers in violent riots
The Austin Police Department (APD) has released mugshots of eight people who were arrested after anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agitators turned violent this week. The arrests came amid nationwide unrest that began in Los Angeles on June 7, when protests against recent ICE raids in the LA area turned violent, with agitators burning cars, throwing objects and fireworks at police, vandalizing property, blocking roads and resisting arrest throughout last weekend. The LA riots have since bled into other major cities across the country, which are bracing for more protests and potential violence on Saturday. After Monday's protests in Austin, Texas, APD said the department "is committed to transparency and public safety and is sharing details regarding the events, officer injuries, arrests, and preparations for the days ahead." "APD fully supports the constitutional right to peaceful protest and values civic engagement. However, unlawful actions that place the community or officers at risk will not be tolerated, and these incidents will be addressed," APD said in a press release. The Austin demonstration began at the Texas Capitol on Monday evening, which was closed at the time. Protesters moved through downtown Austin and eventually gathered at the J.J. Pickle Federal Building, "where individuals began defacing property with graffiti," APD said. "Officers issued dispersal orders and moved the crowd west along 8th Street. Two individuals were arrested for criminal mischief related to the graffiti," police said. Tensions continued to escalate throughout the evening as agitators began throwing rocks at officers, and one person spat in an officer's eye, according to police. "In an effort to de-escalate, officers briefly withdrew, but the crowd advanced again. Officers held their position to prevent further damage and to protect both protesters and themselves, deploying pepperball towards the ground, to saturate the area," APD said. Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety, which helped respond to the rioting, deployed tear gas to deter agitators from the federal building. Some protesters threw scooters and barricades into roadways as officers continued trying to contain the crowd. By the end of the evening, APD made eight arrests, noting that a total of four officers were injured and hospitalized in the riots. Three of the four officers were struck by rocks and the fourth suffered a shoulder injury. They are expected to make full recoveries, APD said. Conor Williams and Abigail Pore are charged with criminal mischief related to graffiti on a federal building, Alexandra Haddix is charged with failure to obey a lawful order, Cody Bates is charged with harassment of a public official, Edgar Tovar is charged with reckless driving, Shaneal Harun is charged with rioting and resisting arrest, Margarito Perez Montalvo is charged with interference with public duties and resisting arrest and Hayden Perez is charged with failure to obey a lawful order and harassment of a public servant. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced the deployment of National Guard troops across the state in response to protests. "The State of Texas stands ready to deploy all necessary personnel and resources to uphold law and order across our state," Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris, told Fox News Digital in a statement earlier this week. "Texas National Guard soldiers are on standby in areas where mass demonstrations are planned in case they are needed." Mahaleris noted that while "peaceful protests are part of the fabric of our nation," the Lone Star state "will not tolerate the lawlessness we have seen in Los Angeles." "Anyone engaging in acts of violence or damaging property will be swiftly held accountable to the full extent of the law," Mahaleris said.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
APD: Officer's viral pepper spray use likely fell 'within policy' during anti-ICE protest
The Austin Police Department late Wednesday defended an officer's use of pepper spray during Monday's anti-deportation protest. A viral video posted to Reddit a day after the demonstration shows an Austin police officer pushing back a crowd of protesters while other officers forcibly arrested a protestor. The officer then deployed pepper spray into the scrum, dispersing the crowd. The video sparked a furor online with many commenters condemning the officer. Police Department spokeswoman Anna Sabana said the use of force incident was reported to the department's Force Review Unit, 'as is standard protocol.' But she said that 'early indication shows that it does fall within policy.' According to APD's use of force policy, pepper spray is used to 'disperse violent crowds or riots with (prior) supervisor approval.' The policy explicitly says pepper spray should not be deployed on non-violent crowds. 'As officers arrested the subjects that engaged in graffiti, the crowd closed in on them and pepper spray was used to disperse those that refused to move back after being ordered to back up,' Sabana said in a statement. 'During this time, several officers were hit by rocks that were thrown from the crowd of protestors.' Sabana did not say when the department would make a final determination. Local and state law enforcement deployed pepper spray and arrested over a dozen people during the downtown protest. The Austin chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized its 'ICE Out of Austin' protest in solidarity with Los Angeles' demonstrations against recent ICE raids. Austin Police Chief Davis had initially said on Tuesday morning that only the Texas Department of Public Safety deployed pepper spray, not APD. She later clarified that while APD did use pepper spray, the department did not use tear gas. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police defends use of pepper spray during anti-ICE protest
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Austin PD: Officer's viral pepper spray use likely fell 'within policy'
The Austin Police Department late Wednesday defended an officer's use of pepper spray during Monday's anti-deportation protest. A viral video posted to Reddit a day after the demonstration shows an Austin police officer pushing back a crowd of protesters while other officers forcibly arrested a protestor. The officer then deployed pepper spray into the scrum, dispersing the crowd. The video sparked a furor online with many commenters condemning the officer. Police Department spokeswoman Anna Sabana said the use of force incident was reported to the department's Force Review Unit, 'as is standard protocol.' But she said that 'early indication shows that it does fall within policy.' According to APD's use of force policy, pepper spray is used to 'disperse violent crowds or riots with (prior) supervisor approval.' The policy explicitly says pepper spray should not be deployed on non-violent crowds. 'As officers arrested the subjects that engaged in graffiti, the crowd closed in on them and pepper spray was used to disperse those that refused to move back after being ordered to back up,' Sabana said in a statement. 'During this time, several officers were hit by rocks that were thrown from the crowd of protestors.' Sabana did not say when the department would make a final determination. Local and state law enforcement deployed pepper spray and arrested over a dozen people during the downtown protest. The Austin chapter of the Party for Socialism and Liberation organized its 'ICE Out of Austin' protest in solidarity with Los Angeles' demonstrations against recent ICE raids. Austin Police Chief Davis had initially said on Tuesday morning that only the Texas Department of Public Safety deployed pepper spray, not APD. She later clarified that while APD did use pepper spray, the department did not use tear gas. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin PD defends officer's pepper spray use during anti-ICE protest
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Yahoo
2-vehicle crash sends Austin woman to hospital
Jun. 11—An Austin woman was injured Tuesday afternoon after the vehicle she was driving was involved in a crash on Highway 218. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, the crash took place a little after 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday and involved a 2008 KIA Rio driven by 38-year-old Marcelina Aguilar Mendoza of Austin and a 2021 Mack Pinnacle driven by 52-year-old Jason Michael Mattes of Sleepy Eye. Both vehicles were traveling southbound on Highway 218 when they collided in a rear-end collision at 18th Avenue NW. The report doesn't indicate which vehicle was trailing in the collision. Aguilar Mendoza was transported to Mayo Clinic Health System-Austin with non-life threatening injuries. The Austin Police Department and Mayo Ambulance responded.
