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Gov. Greg Abbott named an Austin police officer charged with using excessive force during the 2020 protests to Texas Law Enforcement.
Justin Berry was among 19 Austin police officers charged earlier this year in protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. Berry is charged with two counts of aggravated assault by an official.
He also ran as a Republican for Texas House District 19, but lost in the primary runoff this year. Abbott had backed Berry in the race, saying his “strong conservative values and background in fighting violent crime are exactly what we need at Texas House.”
Now, at the hands of the governor, Berry will serve on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets minimum licensing and training standards for police. Abbott did not immediately respond to the Texas Tribune’s request for comment, but in a press release announcing Berry’s nomination on Friday, he said the commission was ensuring that “the people of Texas are served by strong forces of highly skilled and ethical law enforcement, corrections and telecommunications services”. ” Bay released a statement on Twitter Friday but did not respond to requests for comment.
“The demands and expectations of today’s professional police officers have never been greater,” Berry said of his appointment via Twitter. “I look forward to ensuring that Texas has the best police officers in the world. Ensuring that those who answer the call to serve their respective communities have the training and resources necessary to be set up to succeed is a priority not only to keep Texans safe, but also to ensure that trust is earned and maintained by those same communities.
Sara Mokuria, co-founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality, said Abbott’s decision to appoint Berry to TCOLE is dangerous, not based on public safety and goes against “what is in the best interests of Texas”.
“This is an indicted officer who is now part of the body that licenses and regulates law enforcement,” Mokuria said. “It’s a step in the wrong direction, and it puts us at risk. And, quite frankly, that’s a message that’s been repeated time and time again from the Governor’s mansion, whether it’s families in Uvalde who weren’t safe to send their children to school, or all Texas residents during the winter storm. Our lives and safety have constantly been put at risk because of this governor. »
Berry’s exact role in the Floyd protests is unclear, but officers in Austin seriously injured several people after shooting them in the head with “less lethal” ammunition. This included a 20-year-old black man who police said was not their target after a nearby man threw a water bottle and backpack towards the steps where police were training. The video also showed a 16-year-old Hispanic boy collapsing to the ground after police fired a beanbag bullet at him while he was standing alone near the freeway.
Violent police tactics during protests against police brutality have been heavily criticized. Along with the indictments of 19 officers, the city of Austin agreed to a $10 million civil settlement with two men shot by police with beanbag bullets, including the 20-year-old.
Chas Moore, executive director of the Austin Justice Coalition, said Abbott naming Berry despite his indictment “is not surprising.” Moore believes the governor said all the politically correct things after Floyd’s killing but followed through with inaction.
“He never cared about making sure everyone could be safe,” the activist said. “He doesn’t care about the national conversation that happened in 2020 where every state had some form of protest for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, you know. He’s a diehard Republican from Texas.
Eleanor Klibanoff contributed to this story.
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