It’s tough work being a police officer. Especially over the past few years. Not only have officers had to step up, putting their lives on the line every single day, but some of them have gone through unfair circumstances put in place by their local government – especially those influenced by the “defund the police” campaign that came about years ago following the death of George Floyd.
That seems to be the case with three Austin police officers who successfully stopped a mass shooter in Austin, as they appear to be headed to a grand-jury investigation because of a policy put in place following “defund the police.”
This past Sunday, a shooting took place at a bar in downtown Austin, with three people killed and 13 being wounded. Ndiaga Diagne was identified as the shooter, and three officers dispatched to the scene confronted the gunman, eventually killing him.
They acted in their fair line of duty in taking down the suspect before he could hurt anyone else. They should be commended for their efforts. But instead, they now face legal scrutiny.
That’s because of a policy put in place by Austin District Attorney Jose Garza. Shortly after the horrifying “defund the police” campaign took place in 2020, following the death of Floyd, he put a policy in place that calls for further review.
Texas lawyer Doug O’Connell, speaking with the New York Post, went into a little more detail about the policy. “The district attorney, at the direction of the Wren Collective, insists on presenting every officer involved shooting to a grand jury.” Though the procedure is still ongoing, “we believe that our clients will face this same process.”
But the procedure lacks transparency, according to O’Connell. “Grand juries in Texas are secret, meaning only the prosecutors are in the room. The prosecutors control what evidence the grand jury sees, and they have no obligation to present exculpatory evidence,” he explained.
“Every time an officer has to confront a violent criminal, they may be indicted if the DA doesn’t like their actions.”
This is confusing to me. I understand if a follow-up report is needed to make sure the officers acted in the best way. But a grand jury? I don’t see any reason for this.
It just seems like Garza is worried about some kind of backlash, especially considering Diagne’s Iranian origins, and wondering if that will bring any negativity his way. But this is no time to be concerned about how something “looks.” Let’s face the facts here.
Diagne walked into a crowded bar and opened fire on people. He was an instant threat to everyone. Killed three people. Injured several others. Could’ve killed even more if these officers didn’t do their job.
You can read over the reports all you want, but the truth is plain to see. Diagne was a threat and needed to be stopped. These three Austin officers did that.
It’s times like these that Garza should give his policy a deeper look. This wasn’t an act of hatred; it was an act of heroism. Period. To try to charge any of these officers for saving lives is absolutely asinine. It boggles the mind.
But, sadly, that’s been the case for several years now. Higher-ups are more concerned about the outlook of the police rather than their actions themselves. There are local government leaders out there (most of them Democrats, surprise) who still believe in “defund the police,” battling them at every turn to keep officers from getting the mental health support and gear they deserve. And why? So they “look good.”
My only hope is that these three officers don’t face any unnecessary legal fire and simply go back to doing their job. No need for a review, especially at the hands of jaded prosecutors who may or may not wrongfully punish them. Let them go back to work, knowing they did the right thing in stopping a maniac.
And Garza, change your policy. “Defund the police” has already done enough damage to the badge. The last thing you need to do is hurt these three heroes even more.
That said, my heart goes out to the families and friends who lost loved ones in this shooting. Here’s to the officers who keep fighting to prevent tragedies like these.
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