Travis County District Attorney José Garza faced intense criticism over a policy that would have sent the officers before a grand jury, before he said his office would not seek charges against “heroes.”
A prosecutor says he is asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse the governor’s pardon of a former Army sergeant who was convicted of fatally shooting a Black Lives Matter demonstrator.
An Austin, Texas, police officer has been indicted for deadly conduct in the fatal shooting of a man standing on his own front porch.
The Travis County district attorney still plans to pursue criminal charges in four cases. The officers whose cases are being dismissed will be allowed to return to duty.
Areli Escobar was sentenced to death in 2011 for an Austin murder, but even prosecutors now agree his conviction relied heavily on faulty DNA testing by the discredited Travis County crime lab.
Abbott’s move is the latest in a long clash between Texas Republicans and Austin-area officials over policing — and comes as the push for reform in the Texas capital enters a more complex and uncertain chapter.
Austin officials also agreed to a $10 million settlement with two men who were injured by police with beanbag rounds during the protests.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65):fill(FFF)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/FOMAEXDGHBFRPK6KQIMZOHW74Q.png)
A former Texas sheriff’s deputy has been indicted on capital murder charges in the April shooting of his ex-wife, teenage stepdaughter and the stepdaughter's boyfriend.
:strip_exif(true):strip_icc(true):no_upscale(true):quality(65)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gmg/UAF5LAWEVZHHRJXE23H2UHMSWI.jpg)
A protester holds a sign at a rally for George Floyd and Michael Ramos at Austin Police headquarters on May 30, 2020. (Credit: Miguel Gutierrez Jr./The Texas Tribune)A murder warrant was issued Wednesday for the arrest of the Austin police officer who shot and killed Michael Ramos last year, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has previously said that Taylor’s criminal case in Ramos’ killing would be presented to a grand jury this month. Travis County District Attorney José Garza did not comment Wednesday evening. AdThe city cut the budget following calls for defunding following the deaths of Ramos, Ambler and Floyd.