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19 police officers in Austin, Texas have been indicted by a grand jury on charges of aggravated assault relating to their actions during Black Lives Matter protests following the murder of George Floyd in 2020, according to reports.
In what would represent one of the largest actions against individual officers from a single force for many years, it was reported that charges had been brought against the officers almost two years after protests across the country resulted in clashes between protesters and police in almost every state.
The news of the charges – initially it was reported that nine officers had been indicted – came as the city of Austin agreed a $10m settlement with two men shot by police with beanbag rounds.
Last week, the city’s Austin American-Statesman newspaper reported the grand jury was considering charges for up to 18 officers.
“We believe many protesters injured by law enforcement officers during the protest were innocent bystanders. We also believe that the overwhelming majority of victims in the incidents that were investigated suffered significant injuries,” Joe Garza, the Travis County District Attorney, said during a press conference on Thursday, where details of the charges were revealed.
Earlier in the day, Austin city leaders approved paying $10m to two people injured by police in the protests, including a college student who suffered brain damage after an officer shot him with a beanbag round.
The largest of the settlements awards $8m to Justin Howell, who was 20 years old when police shot him with a beanbag round. Family members said following the incident that Mr Howell suffered a cracked skull and brain damage, leaving him in critical condition for multiple days.
The city also agreed to pay $2m to Anthony Evans, who was 26 when an Austin police officer shot him with a beanbag round in a separate incident. Read more.
