Austin crime watchdog calls on DA Garza to step aside in case against 19 indicted officers

The Greater Austin Crime Commission is calling on Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza to step aside and recuse himself from involvement in the indictment of 19 Austin Police Department officers for their role in quelling a riot following the death of George Floyd in May 2020.

“There are legitimate questions about what evidence was presented to the grand jury,” the commission said in a statement Tuesday. “To ensure public confidence in the process, the district attorney should step aside and ask the court to appoint a special prosecutor for these cases.”

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Garza, who campaigned on a promise to prosecute police, indicted the 19 police officers last week and charged them each with first degree felony charges that carry prison sentences of 5 to 99 years in prison.

The statement went on to point out that the officers were cleared of wrongdoing by the Austin Police Department in 2020 and outlined several concerns with Garza’s handling of the case including prejudicial past statements, withholding evidence from the grand jury, and dysfunction within the district attorney’s office. Garza has also been accused of withholding exculpatory evidence from the grand jury in another high-profile Austin case related to the 2020 riots, according to KXAN.

(Travis County DA Website)

Garza’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News.

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