19 Austin Officers Indicted On Excessive Force Charges

AUSTIN, TX — Sources close to the situation told the Associated Press that 19 officers from the Austin Police Department have been indicted by a Texas grand jury on excessive force charges in connection with their response to protests in May 2020 stemming from George Floyd's murder.

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza is not allowed to discuss specifics of the grand jury proceedings but believes multiple officers will be indicted, he said Thursday at a news conference. Announcements of indictments will not be made or confirmed until officers are booked into the county jail, according to Garza.

Garza further emphasized that indictments do not constitute guilt, but rather probable cause.

Investigators believe many protesters injured by law enforcement during the May 2020 protests were innocent bystanders who suffered "significant and serious injuries," with most injuries inflicted by a deadly weapon. Some never fully recovered from their injuries, Garza said.

The Austin Police Department did not return questions for comment from Patch.

Also Thursday, the Austin City Council approved $10 million in payments to two people injured by law enforcement officers in the protests. One of those was a college student who suffered brain damage from being shot in the head with a beanbag round.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.