Austin Police Officers Indicted In George Floyd Protest Investigation Released On $1 Bond
AUSTIN (CBSDFW.COM/CNN) — Eight Austin police officers indicted for their actions during the 2020 George Floyd protests and riots have each been released on a $1 cash bond -- with no additional bond conditions, their lawyers said.
Defense attorneys Ken Ervin and Doug O'Connell said the officers reported to the Travis County Jail and were fingerprinted, photographed and released.
Last week, Travis County District Attorney José Garza said multiple indictments were forthcoming, alleging many protesters injured by the officers were innocent bystanders. He said the majority of the victims suffered serious injuries.
But the officers' attorneys said seven of their eight clients were injured during clashes with protesters and that their use of bean bag rounds was authorized and specifically targeted to discourage the use of violence.
Protesters were also given multiple warnings before the use of bean bag rounds to disperse a crowd blocking a major overpass, the attorneys said.
"These aren't a few rogue officers doing what they wanted to do. The actions they took on the bridge deploying the bean bags were in full view of the chain of command," Ervin said. "They were commonly accepted tactics."
Ervin said the officers each face two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant, which is normally a second-degree felony but becomes a first-degree felony if committed in the course of duty by law enforcement.
If convicted, the officers could face five to 99 years or life in prison and a potential fine of up to $10,000.
The indictments for their clients were expected to be released on Tuesday, the attorneys said.
Initial court appearances have been set, O'Connell said. But he said he doesn't expect trials to start for at least a year.
Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon said last week that he stands by the officers and believes their actions, saying the officers' conduct did not "rise to the level of a criminal violation."
The Austin Police Department announced last week that the officers would be placed on paid administrative duties.
(© Copyright 2022 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The CNN Wire™ & © 2022 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company contributed to this report.)
