AUSTIN, TX - Police officers, both past and present, are speaking out against the county's progressive district attorney after a fellow police officer was sentenced to two years in prison for doing his job.
According to Fox News, Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor was sentenced on Tuesday, December 3rd, to two years in prison after being convicted of deadly conduct, after originally being charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 46-year-old Mauris DeSilva back in 2019.
Several members of the law enforcement community in Austin spoke with Fox New Digital, saying that Taylor's prosecution represents a malicious targeting of police officers on the part of the county's progressive district attorney, Jose Garza. Austin Police Officer Justin Berry said, "The weaponization of our justice system by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza has taken away the life of Officer Chris Taylor today."
He added, "Chris knew that by wearing the badge of a police officer he may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service and protection of another officer or his community. I do not believe he, nor his family, ever thought his life would be taken by a malicious district attorney with a spiteful agenda against a police officer trying to protect himself and others.
I have spoken with law enforcement leaders from around Texas and we all stand behind Officer Chris Taylor and the other maliciously persecuted officers against the ongoing weaponization of the justice system for rogue district attorneys to abuse with impunity."
DeSilva was in the midst of a mental health crisis, walking around an apartment complex, threatening to harm himself and holding a knife to his throat. He refused to drop the knife after being told repeatedly by responding officers.
Garza has long faced criticism from law enforcement in Austin for an alleged "war on cops" after the progressive district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and "reimagining" policing in Austin. George Soros reportedly contributed $645,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County district attorney election. Records indicate that the same PAC spent nearly $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza's campaign.
Berry was one of a dozen police officers indicted by Garza for their role in quelling riots led by Black Lives Matter in 2020. He said that Taylor's situation "highlights the historic abuse of office by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza to further his personal war against the men and women of the Austin Police Department."
He added, "Today Garza sent a clear message that police officers in Travis County, Texas, are prohibited from defending themselves and others (to include members of this very community). When an armed subject charges at an officer to harm or kill that officer, every police officer has always been trained and taught they are legally justified in defending themselves or others from serious bodily injury or death.
Today that is no longer the case in Austin, Texas. Jose Garza has set the policy that no police officer should respond to ANY call involving anyone in a mental health crisis, especially if they are armed with a weapon."
A second Austin police officer, who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely, called the sentence of Taylor a "sad" and "dark day" for Austin. The officer said, "No one wants to go to these mental health calls anymore, and if we do go, there will be some hesitation. This conviction will cause people to get hurt when they otherwise wouldn't have.
We're all heartbroken for Chris and his family. Chris showed up, answered the call, utilized sound tactics and decision-making, and is now looking at a two-year prison sentence. We haven't gotten any meaningful guidance because what do you change when Chris did it the right way?"
The officers that spoke with Fox News Digital maintain that Taylor followed his training, which was backed up by testimony in Taylor's defense from former Austin police chief Brian Manley and former Austin assistant city manager Bruce Mills. Additionally, an internal police department review of the incident concluded that Taylor followed protocol, and he was allowed to return back to work.
The prosecution argued that Taylor could have defused the situation without deadly force and that DeSilva was not a threat at the time deadly force was used. Dennis Farris, president of Austin Police Retired Officers Association said that evidence in the trial showed that DeSilva had meth in his system, a blood alcohol level of over .20, and testimony that DeSilva was moving toward the officers armed with a knife from a short distance away."
Farris said, "We as a society cannot expect police officers to go out every day and protect us while they worry if they will be indicted by some elected DA who decides what they did was criminal. Chris Taylor followed the law and his training in dealing with this situation and somehow the prosecutors convinced a jury that it was unlawful."
Taylor is believed to be the first police officer in Travis County to be convicted for use of force. Farris said, "This verdict and sentence are absolutely a miscarriage of justice by a DA who is targeting police officers for doing their job and letting real criminals off with little or no punishment."
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock wrote on X that he believes Garza is playing "political games." He wrote, "Throughout this trial they have ignored and tried to discredit their own experts, claimed to be tactical experts, gone after other officers who were called in to testify, and made every attempt to vilify the Austin Police Department"
He added, "Tonight, Dexter Gilford from the DA's office went as far as saying the DA's office knows more about tactics than the officers who actually face these realities every day. The District Attorney has given sweetheart plea deals to rapists and violent criminals; while ignoring victims, he has spent untold amounts of taxpayer money to repeatedly go after Detective Taylor who was put in an impossible situation and forced to defend himself and others against someone high on meth and armed with a knife. No matter how much Garza will try to convince people otherwise, he is actively making our city more dangerous be freeing criminals and targeting cops."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT) said Garza has "set out on a mission and has engaged in the political persecution of nearly 30 brave law enforcement officers across this county. Officer Taylor followed his training and written procedures and acted exactly as any reasonable officer would have. That was made clear by the several witnesses to include the former Chief of Police of the Austin Police Department.
Countless experts in use of force and police procedures testified that his actions were justified and well within nationally recognized training standards and protocols. On behalf of our organization and its 28,000 members, we stand by Officer Taylor, his family, and the members of the Austin Police Department."
According to Fox News, Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor was sentenced on Tuesday, December 3rd, to two years in prison after being convicted of deadly conduct, after originally being charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 46-year-old Mauris DeSilva back in 2019.
Several members of the law enforcement community in Austin spoke with Fox New Digital, saying that Taylor's prosecution represents a malicious targeting of police officers on the part of the county's progressive district attorney, Jose Garza. Austin Police Officer Justin Berry said, "The weaponization of our justice system by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza has taken away the life of Officer Chris Taylor today."
He added, "Chris knew that by wearing the badge of a police officer he may be called to make the ultimate sacrifice in the service and protection of another officer or his community. I do not believe he, nor his family, ever thought his life would be taken by a malicious district attorney with a spiteful agenda against a police officer trying to protect himself and others.
I have spoken with law enforcement leaders from around Texas and we all stand behind Officer Chris Taylor and the other maliciously persecuted officers against the ongoing weaponization of the justice system for rogue district attorneys to abuse with impunity."
DeSilva was in the midst of a mental health crisis, walking around an apartment complex, threatening to harm himself and holding a knife to his throat. He refused to drop the knife after being told repeatedly by responding officers.
Garza has long faced criticism from law enforcement in Austin for an alleged "war on cops" after the progressive district attorney campaigned on indicting police officers and "reimagining" policing in Austin. George Soros reportedly contributed $645,000 to the Texas Justice & Public Safety PAC in the months leading up to the 2020 Travis County district attorney election. Records indicate that the same PAC spent nearly $1 million on digital and mail advertisements to help Garza's campaign.
Berry was one of a dozen police officers indicted by Garza for their role in quelling riots led by Black Lives Matter in 2020. He said that Taylor's situation "highlights the historic abuse of office by Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza to further his personal war against the men and women of the Austin Police Department."
He added, "Today Garza sent a clear message that police officers in Travis County, Texas, are prohibited from defending themselves and others (to include members of this very community). When an armed subject charges at an officer to harm or kill that officer, every police officer has always been trained and taught they are legally justified in defending themselves or others from serious bodily injury or death.
Today that is no longer the case in Austin, Texas. Jose Garza has set the policy that no police officer should respond to ANY call involving anyone in a mental health crisis, especially if they are armed with a weapon."
A second Austin police officer, who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely, called the sentence of Taylor a "sad" and "dark day" for Austin. The officer said, "No one wants to go to these mental health calls anymore, and if we do go, there will be some hesitation. This conviction will cause people to get hurt when they otherwise wouldn't have.
We're all heartbroken for Chris and his family. Chris showed up, answered the call, utilized sound tactics and decision-making, and is now looking at a two-year prison sentence. We haven't gotten any meaningful guidance because what do you change when Chris did it the right way?"
The officers that spoke with Fox News Digital maintain that Taylor followed his training, which was backed up by testimony in Taylor's defense from former Austin police chief Brian Manley and former Austin assistant city manager Bruce Mills. Additionally, an internal police department review of the incident concluded that Taylor followed protocol, and he was allowed to return back to work.
The prosecution argued that Taylor could have defused the situation without deadly force and that DeSilva was not a threat at the time deadly force was used. Dennis Farris, president of Austin Police Retired Officers Association said that evidence in the trial showed that DeSilva had meth in his system, a blood alcohol level of over .20, and testimony that DeSilva was moving toward the officers armed with a knife from a short distance away."
Farris said, "We as a society cannot expect police officers to go out every day and protect us while they worry if they will be indicted by some elected DA who decides what they did was criminal. Chris Taylor followed the law and his training in dealing with this situation and somehow the prosecutors convinced a jury that it was unlawful."
Taylor is believed to be the first police officer in Travis County to be convicted for use of force. Farris said, "This verdict and sentence are absolutely a miscarriage of justice by a DA who is targeting police officers for doing their job and letting real criminals off with little or no punishment."
Austin Police Association President Michael Bullock wrote on X that he believes Garza is playing "political games." He wrote, "Throughout this trial they have ignored and tried to discredit their own experts, claimed to be tactical experts, gone after other officers who were called in to testify, and made every attempt to vilify the Austin Police Department"
He added, "Tonight, Dexter Gilford from the DA's office went as far as saying the DA's office knows more about tactics than the officers who actually face these realities every day. The District Attorney has given sweetheart plea deals to rapists and violent criminals; while ignoring victims, he has spent untold amounts of taxpayer money to repeatedly go after Detective Taylor who was put in an impossible situation and forced to defend himself and others against someone high on meth and armed with a knife. No matter how much Garza will try to convince people otherwise, he is actively making our city more dangerous be freeing criminals and targeting cops."
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Combined Law Enforcement Association of Texas (CLEAT) said Garza has "set out on a mission and has engaged in the political persecution of nearly 30 brave law enforcement officers across this county. Officer Taylor followed his training and written procedures and acted exactly as any reasonable officer would have. That was made clear by the several witnesses to include the former Chief of Police of the Austin Police Department.
Countless experts in use of force and police procedures testified that his actions were justified and well within nationally recognized training standards and protocols. On behalf of our organization and its 28,000 members, we stand by Officer Taylor, his family, and the members of the Austin Police Department."
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Comments
2024-12-08T11:31-0500 | Comment by: Steve
Miscarriage of justice!!
2024-12-08T18:57-0500 | Comment by: Mary
When, oh when is this country going to stop favoring the criminals over the good people? That is so sad!
2024-12-08T20:19-0500 | Comment by: Carlton
President Trump's DOJ should be notified ASAP . He could consider a pardon .
2024-12-09T13:13-0500 | Comment by: Laurence
Garza should be fired immediately! The officer was doing his job and protecting the public. Bureaucrats like Garza are one reason why there is so much crime today.