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-War on Police- | |
Austin crime watchdog calls on DA Garza to step aside in case against 19 indicted officers | |
2022-02-23 | |
[FoxNews] The Greater Austin Crime Commission is calling on Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza
"There are legitimate questions about what evidence was presented to the grand jury," the commission said in a statement Tuesday. "To ensure public confidence in the process, the district attorney should step aside and ask the court to appoint a special prosecutor for these cases." Garza, who campaigned on a promise to prosecute police, indicted the 19 police officers last week and charged them each with first degree felony charges that carry prison sentences of 5 to 99 years in prison. The statement went on to point out that the officers were cleared of wrongdoing by the Austin Police Department in 2020 and outlined several concerns with Garza’s handling of the case including prejudicial past statements, withholding evidence from the grand jury, and dysfunction within the district attorney’s office. Garza has also been accused of withholding exculpatory evidence from the grand jury in another high-profile Austin case related to the 2020 riots, according to KXAN. Garza’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News. Over a dozen officers were injured by protesters during the unrest on May 30 and 31 of 2020 including several officers who were struck by bottles, rocks, jars of paint, and frozen water bottles that were hurled at them by the unruly mob. Some protesters were also injured by beanbag rounds the officers used, per department policy at the time, to restore order. Justin Berry, a Republican candidate for the Texas House of Representatives and one of the officers charged by Garza, told Fox News this week he believes the case is politically motivated. "This has nothing to do with justice, has nothing do with any wrongdoing," Berry said. "This is simply about politics and a political agenda that has taken place with these radical liberal district attorneys." "We were responding to a riot," Berry added. "People throwing Molotov cocktails at us, frozen water bottles, bottles filled with urine, bottles full of gasoline, and they were engaging in criminal activity by obstructing the passage road that goes to the main hospital." Related: Jose Garza: 2022-02-22 Austin cop indicted alongside 18 colleagues on assault charges at George Floyd protests says city's woke Soros-backed DA has trumped up the offenses to try and hobble the city's law enforcement department Jose Garza: 2022-01-14 Texas judge rules apprehension of illegal immigrant by soldiers during Gov Greg Abbott's 'Operation Lone Star' along Rio Grande was UNCONSTITUTIONAL, opening floodgates for claims from others arrested Jose Garza: 2021-09-12 Travis County DA Garza, Austin Acting Police Chief Accused of Retaliation in High-Profile Shooting Case | |
Posted by:Skidmark |