Downtown Austin residences warn armed protesters may try to access buildings
Downtown Austin residences warn armed protesters may try to access buildings
Tony PlohetskiJuly 31, 2020
Ahead of a march calling for reductions in the Austin police budget Saturday evening, downtown mid- and high-rise properties are
warning residents to be on guard.
The rally to “amplify Black Austin voices and demand defunding of the Austin Police Department” is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. at the University of Texas and continue until 10:30 p.m.,
according to a Facebook post.
From UT, participants are expected to march to the Central Austin neighborhood of Council Member Kathie Tovo “with drums, chalk and speakers to let the city know our demands must be met,” the event notice said.
Organizers said they are particularly upset that Tovo has not called for deeper budget reductions for the department.
Austin police and Texas Department of Public Safety officials have said they bolstered the number of officers on the ground for the event.
A number of mid-rise residences in the downtown area warned tenants to call 911 if they see suspicious people or activity on upper floors or the roofs of buildings. In their warnings, managers cited unnamed police officials and mentioned the
Tyndall at Robertson Hill,
AMLI Eastside,
Eleven and
La Vista de Guadalupe.
The Police Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday afternoon.
Officials said earlier Saturday that they have no facts to support an online rumor that protesters were being bused in from Portland for the Austin rally.
Saturday’s protest is the resumption of a July 25 event that was interrupted by the fatal shooting of Garrett Foster by 33-year-old Army Sgt. Daniel Perry of Fort Worth.
Perry’s attorney has said his client was in the city driving for Uber on July 25 to earn extra money and had dropped off a fare near Congress Avenue the night of the protest. He drove toward a “hot spot” to wait for another fare or food order.
Once on Congress, he encountered the protest, and several people began hitting his vehicle. The statement from his attorney says Perry did not know a protest was happening that night.
Perry at first thought Foster was a law enforcement official when he approached the vehicle and motioned with an assault-style rifle for Perry to lower his window, the statement says. Perry realized after rolling down his window that Foster was not a member of law enforcement.
The statement says Foster began to raise his rifle at Perry. Witnesses have told the American-Statesman that Foster had his weapon pointed down.
Perry shot Foster in self defense with a handgun he kept in his vehicle for protection, the statement says. A third person then shot at Perry, who drove away and called police, the statement says.
Both shooters were detained and released by police without being charged in the incident.
Public Safety Department told CBS Austin they have “received multiple reports of individuals planning to disrupt peaceful protests scheduled for this weekend in Austin.”
“DPS supports the right of individuals to lawfully protest, and public safety is our top priority. Therefore, DPS will be increasing our presence this weekend, along with our local law enforcement partners, to ensure public safety needs are met and to combat any potential criminal activity,” DPS said in the statement. “While we do not discuss operational specifics, DPS will continue to work with local law enforcement, including the Austin Police Department, as well as the National Guard, to ensure the safety of our citizens and property, and to protect those individuals who are exercising their constitutional right to assembly and free speech.”
The American-Statesman will be covering the Saturday protest live. Check back here frequently for updates.