AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Just shy of the three year anniversary of the 2020 social justice protests in downtown Austin, a Travis County grand jury is said to have returned five more indictments against Austin Police officers for their actions during the event.
Austin Police Association President Thomas Villarreal sent a message to the union membership Wednesday afternoon, including a post on Twitter.
According to Villarreal, three of the indictments were returned against officers already facing indictment; the other two officers were newly indicted.
Under the state's Code of Criminal Procedure, Wednesday is the last day that charges could be pursued against the officers, short of specific felony offenses, due to a three-year statute of limitations.
According to Villarreal, two of the officers were given less than 24 hours notice that their cases would be presented to the grand jury on Tuesday morning.
On Monday, attorney Doug O'Connell shared an e-mail message from assistant district attorney Raman Gill, received on Monday, that indicated O'Connell's client would have their case presented to the grand jury Tuesday at 9 a.m. O'Connell represents several of the APD officers who have been indicted in connection to the protests.
Villarreal called the prosecution of the officers "politically motivated" and even directly addressed Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza. "Instead of fostering an environment of trust and collaboration between law enforcement and the community, your actions have sown seeds of discord, eroded public confidence, and further polarized an already divided society."
Garza's office refused to comment on the grand jury process. "The business of Travis County Grand Juries is secret, and TCDAO will not be commenting at this time on any potential indictments issued by grand juries," the statement reads.
"It is unfortunate that instead of honoring the rule of law and focusing on keeping our community safe, the Austin Police Association has chosen yet again to sow discontent and conflict because they are unhappy with oversight decisions made by our community."
The statement continues, "We are grateful to the honorable men and women who serve our community every day and to those who are invested in ensuring that anyone who breaks the law should be held accountable. That is how we keep our community safe. We encourage the APA to end their political war against the people they are sworn to protect and serve and, instead, to join us in ensuring that those who commit violent acts are held accountable, regardless of their title, political contributions, or the size of their wallet."
