Austin police being investigated after video of cop pepper-spraying bystander goes viral
Video shows officer pepper-spray man who was video-taping incident
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.After a video showing a police officer pepper-spraying a bystander, the police department in Austin, Texas has announced that it will investigate the event.
The confrontation happened early Sunday morning when police allegedly tackled and arrested a man, according to KXAN. A crowd formed around the man being arrested and more officers – some on horseback – moved in.
The video shows an officer holding pepper spray toward the crowd while the mounted officers tried to disperse the bystanders. One of the mounted officers snatches a cell phone out of the hands of a man recording the incident.
Another officer then rushes over and pepper-sprays that man as he tries to pick up his phone.
Austin police would not comment on the arrest or the events that followed, but told NBC News that the “police department is aware of this incident and they are conducting a review to determine if the officer’s conduct is compliant with our policy”.
This video is yet another in an on-going string of incidents that show police in the US displaying questionable tactics, which have launched a debate about police relations with citizens.
Follow @PaytonGuion on Twitter.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments