Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott in a statement this week said he may exonerate the Austin police officers who were indicted for the tactics used in response to 2020 racial justice protests.
Nineteen Austin police officers have been charged with aggravated assault by a public servant over injuries to 10 people that occurred during the 2020 protests in the city that followed the killing of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
"In Austin, law enforcement officers defended the state Capitol from criminal assault, protected the Austin Police Department headquarters from being overrun, cleared the interstate from being shut down, and disrupted criminal activity in areas across the city," Abbott said in his statement, which was released on Wednesday.
"Many officers were physically attacked while protecting Austin. Those officers should be praised for their efforts, not prosecuted," he continued.
"Time will tell whether the accusations against the courageous Austin police officers is a political sham. Time will also tell whether I, as Governor, must take action to exonerate any police officer unjustly prosecuted," Abbott said.
The same day that Abbott issued his statement, Travis County District Attorney José Garza released a statement stating, "No one is above the law. In these cases, Austin police officers indiscriminately fired deadly weapons into crowds of people. Safety and accountability are our priority, not political talking points."
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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