Report: 19 Austin police officers indicted for handling of 2020 protests

Sergio Flores/Getty Images
(Image credit: Black Lives Matter protesters in Austin in 2020.)

A grand jury in Texas has indicted 19 Austin police officers on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with their actions during 2020 protests over police brutality and the death of George Floyd, people familiar with the matter told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza spoke to reporters on Thursday afternoon about the grand jury, but did not share any details, including how many officers were indicted. Austin Police Association President Ken Cassidy said "numerous officers" have been indicted, but did not have the exact number. He called the indictments "devastating" and accused Garza of "ruin[ing] lives and careers simply to fulfill a campaign promise."

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.