AUSTIN, Texas – Carlos Sanchez, the 43-year-old photographer for an Austin TV news station, is facing two new charges one week after he was arrested while covering a protest on the UT Austin campus, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.

Troopers said Sanchez, who works for Fox 7 Austin, met with DPS Special Agents on Wednesday morning. During the meeting, Sanchez was charged with two misdemeanors — assault and interference with public duties.

Sanchez was arrested again and booked into the Travis County Jail.

DPS said one of its troopers was struck in the “lower head and neck area” due to Sanchez’s camera.

“The department understands a journalist’s right to cover events of the day, and we work to ensure those rights are protected while also upholding the laws of this state,” DPS said in a statement Wednesday. “While journalists should be provided access, it is never acceptable to interfere with official police duties and assaulting an officer of the law – no matter the degree – will never be tolerated. DPS will always work to ensure the safety of our officers. Both law enforcement officers and journalists should be expected to do their jobs in a professional manner – and we strongly believe a line was crossed last week when one of our Troopers was assaulted while trying to do his job.

Sanchez was arrested during the April 24 protest when he was also booked into the Travis County Jail. He was initially charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, as well as assault against a peace officer, which is considered a second-degree felony.

When KSAT reached out to DPS for comment on April 24, the agency responded April 25, vowing DPS’ Criminal Investigations Division would “further” investigate Sanchez’s case.

Sanchez’s criminal trespassing charge was dismissed one day after his first arrest. Fox 7 Austin reported April 30 that Sanchez’s second-degree felony charge was also dropped.

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Austin, TX – On Monday, April 28, around 1 p.m., University of Texas at Austin students and community members gathered on the UT South Lawn to set up a Popular University encampment. A group of around 40 people was quickly joined by hundreds more supporting students, as booming chants of, “Free free Palestine,” echoed throughout UT’s South Mall.

Shortly after the encampment went up, UT police, Austin police and Texas State Troopers wearing riot gear arrived, assaulted and arrested at least 80 protesters. During the attack on the encampment, police used pepper spray and flash bangs on students, threw a disabled person out of a wheelchair, and dragged students on the ground by their legs.

Despite the police violence, students bravely fought back, and the crowd surrounded the police in an effort to stop them from making more arrests. After hours of heated struggle, the massive crowd eventually marched down 22nd Street, pushing the police to retreat off the street.

Hundreds more Austinites arrived to campus to support the now torn-down student encampment, many holding umbrellas to block pepper spray and bringing supplies like food, water and first aid equipment. 

As soon as protesters were hauled to Travis County Jail, over 50 people arrived with drums and megaphones out front to demand the release of all those arrested. Police purposely delayed booking and processing the arrestees, and they are still holding at least 40 of the protesters in jail as of 5:30 a.m. this morning, May 1. Students and community have continued to rally outside the jail for over 36 hours and counting in spite of this repression.

Jules Lattimore, a Students for a Democratic Society member who was at the jail support rally said, “We will not stop fighting, no matter what UT administration or Texas does. We demand divestment, we demand the coward President Jay Hartzell resigns, we demand everyone jailed is immediately freed, and we demand Greg Abbott’s police thugs off our campus. When we fight, we win!”

#AustinTX #StudentMovement #SDS #AntiWarMovement #International #MiddleEast #Palestine #Occupy4Gaza

The City of Austin Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) is hosting an emergency preparedness training class. The course is developed in partnership with Austin Fire Department Wildfire Division, Ascension Seton, and Go Austin/Vamos Austin (GAVA).

• Event: Ready Together: Basic Emergency Preparedness for You, Your Family & Your Neighborhood (Classroom Training)
• Time: Thursday, May 9, 2024, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
• Location: Spicewood Springs Branch Library, 8637 Spicewood Springs, Austin, TX 78759

 
Attendees must register for the class to attend. Click here to reserve a spot. Pizza and beverages will be provided. Kindly RSVP for an accurate headcount.

This free, 2-hour course is open to community members, regardless of preparedness knowledge. The course will provide an introduction from the experts on how to practice the four steps of emergency preparedness: make a plan, build a kit, know your neighbors, and stay informed. Attendees will gain practical knowledge on how to prepare their home, family, and community for a variety of hazards.

This is the third time the class has been offered. While HSEM takes an all-hazards training approach, this installment will focus on wildfire preparedness. May is Wildfire Safety Month. Central Texas is heading into peak season for wildfire risk and now is the time to prepare yourself and your family.

Participants who complete the course will receive a free emergency preparedness starter kit and NOAA weather radio. Interpreters will be available on-site in Spanish and American Sign Language. Other languages can be requested during registration.

Austin HSEM has two remaining Ready Together course dates scheduled quarterly throughout 2024. Future training dates and more information on how to prepare can be found at www.ReadyCentralTexas.org.