Travis County Attorney Dismisses Police Protesters' Charges

AUSTIN, TX — The Travis County Attorney on Thursday dismissed all remaining criminal cases connected to the 2020 protests calling for police reform in the wake of high-profile killings of residents at the hands of officers.

“After witnessing the tragic murder of George Floyd, many of us across the country were both heartbroken and enraged," Travis County Attorney Delia Garza said in a prepared statement. "People understandably felt compelled to exercise their constitutional right to free speech and took to the streets to protest his murder and to voice their concerns, just as generations of Americans have done throughout our history in the fight for racial justice."

Garza dismissed all remaining charges against protesters "in the interest of justice," she said in her statement.

Protests broke out in Austin starting in late May 2020 to mid-June over the Minneapolis killing of George Floyd, who died after a police officer put a knee to his neck for an extended period during an arrest. Protesters also were galvanized around the fatal police shooting a month before the killing in Minneapolis of Michael Ramos, an unarmed man who was shot after a brief confrontation with officers in Austin.

Related stories:

• Austin Erupts In Protest Over Officer-Involved Killings
• Austin PD Reveals The Impact Munitions Used On Police Protesters
  
• More Arrests Made Stemming From Austin Protests
  
• 3 Hospitalized After Austin Protests Against Police
  
• Hundreds Of Demonstrators Protest Police Abuse In Austin
• Cops In Fatal South Austin Shooting Identified
• No Gun Found On Suspect Killed By Austin Police

Following the protests, the Austin Police Department made dozens of arrests — on charges ranging from assault and burglary to graffiti to organized crime — while releasing booking photos of each offender among an assemblage of largely youthful demonstrators. Many of the charges stemmed from some demonstrators' blocking of Interstate 35 in downtown Austin in the throes of protest.

Police guard the gates of the Texas Capitol in the aftermath of protests in downtown Austin on May 30, 2020. (Tony Cantú/Patch staff)

The actions of officers in reaction to the protests drew wide condemnation, and led to part of its budget being stripped by Austin City Council. Protesters were injured after police fired non-lethal weapons into the crowd, including two protesters seriously hurt after the beanbag projectiles hit them in the head. A subsequent council hearing putting Police Chief Brian Manley in the hot seat during questioning led to an agreement not to use the projectiles against crowds in the future along with other concessions.

Despite dismissal of minor charges against protesters, Garza said more serious cases involving such charges as property damage and weapons violations are still being reviewed by her office.

The Austin Police Department did not immediately respond to the dismissal of charges.