Austin video shows officer punch; two crowd-control incidents under review

Video captured on Sixth Street in downtown Austin appears to show a police officer delivering a single punch, and a man collapsing to the pavement a second later.

A local television station said it received “two witness videos of the scene.” Those clips formed the basis of initial reporting and prompted public concern about the officers’ actions.

‘The action is inexcusable and indefensible.’

One of the witness clips “appears to show an officer in a blue shirt shoving a bystander in an orange shirt. Another officer wearing a black shirt appears to throw a punch. The man in the orange shirt is later seen on the ground,” KXAN said.

The version included with that report is silent and shows only one angle of the apparent punch, leaving some questions about what led up to the contact.

However, circulating on social media shows what appears to be a closer, front-facing angle and captures the crowd reacting as a man in an orange shirt, blue jeans, and a backward white cap lies motionless.

That night there was reportedly a second, separate use-of-force incident recorded nearby.

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KXAN said a second video it received shows an “officer on top of a person, appearing to punch them multiple times.”

“from witnesses at the scene. Both videos show an officer on top of a person, appearing to punch them numerous times. Another officer, who is holding a separate person down, then assists the first officer, putting his knee on the back of the person being held down and appearing to throw a punch at him.”

Another clip reportedly shows a different angle of that second episode, and briefly includes the same orange-shirted man standing nearby and watching officers strike a person on the ground.

Follow-up reporting said court documents from the District Court of Travis County include details about the second encounter, including the officers named and a timeline described by investigators.

The documents say Officer Leger was working downtown when he heard a radio call about a “physical altercation” outside the Voodoo Room nightclub, and that he and Officer Garcia responded to a fight between two men.

The files allege Officer Leger was hit in the back of the head, after which he “executed a controlled takedown maneuver” on one of the men, who allegedly resisted. The records indicate Officer Leger struck the man in the face several times in response.

Court paperwork also says a crowd formed, with people throwing objects and pushing and kicking around the officers.

The man identified in the records as the alleged attacker was named as 19-year-old Johnny Acuña-Jacobo, and he was booked on a charge of assault on a peace officer, a second-degree felony, with bond set at $10,000. Jail logs show he remained in custody while an ankle monitor was processed.

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis in a statement said “last night, an Austin police officer struck an individual during a crowd control incident on Sixth Street. After reviewing the video footage, I share the community’s concern and take this matter very seriously. The officer has been removed from patrol and placed on restricted duty pending a thorough investigation.”

Officials named two officers in reporting, Officer Leger and Officer Garcia, but local accounts did not specify which officer was placed on restricted duty in connection with which incident.

City authorities did not immediately respond to requests to clarify which specific actions led to the patrol change.

The suspect’s mother said she watched video of her son being struck and has been unable to sleep since.

When asked how she is feeling, Delgado replied, “Tired, frustrated, [and] helpless. When are these individuals going to face criminal charges? That’s a crime, what they committed.”

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson released the following statement Saturday to KXAN:

“I have seen the video of an Austin Police Officer on 6th Street last night. The action is inexcusable and indefensible. There is no room in APD for such violent behavior or for someone who claims to be a public servant and acts that way.

I know that Chief Davis will take appropriate action, including action that leads to termination. Again, there is no room for such offensive, ridiculous action.”