Sent to art.acevedo@austintexas.gov as part of the right to seek redress from government and free speech to tell government officials they are acting dishonorably.

Police Chief Art Acevedo

City of Austin, Texas

I would like to bring your attention to the video tape of Philip Turner from YouTube on Saturday night. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFxMnOmzGNw&sns=tw) Which you have called on your Twitter account to be: “Actions on this video aren’t reflective of our policy or our values & are under investigation.” These blatantly aggressive and frankly provocative actions on the part of both officers involved, particularly Officer Maufrais 7432, are nearing criminal in their outrageous conduct. While the video does not show any overly racist comments, those white officers all but acted in a racist fashion to African American Turner. However, unable to prove such an assumption, I would point out that there are grounds for a Federal lawsuit for acting under the colour of law, such as illegally issuing orders with regard to limiting his free movements and not allowing him to get to his car. Not to mention the blatantly violating Turner’s rights to videotape the proceedings. Why did Officer Maufrais 7432 say that some of your officers were afraid of being photographed and recorded? Surely the only reason for such a fear would be if they were doing something wrong, as Officer Maufrais 7432 did on Saturday night. I would point out that in 19 out of 20 cases where police have been videotaped or used body cameras, police are exonerated by such recordings. These actions take on Saturday night should not be allowed to stand unchallenged. Swift follow up is needed by you and your department. Why? You have 5000 police officers at risk of being tarnished by the same brush of dishonorable conduct that this officer and his partner has done. Police are not above the law, not above department regulation. They are supposed to be guardians of the community not overlords to the inferior citizens. You have a city that is depending on you to lead your men and women to protect the city’s good name, reputation and uphold the laws of the community, the state and the nation. Not create their own on the spot as they see fit to do on mere whim. Police have been the victims of bad press all over America this last year because of the actions of a few racists officers who had no business being on the force, let alone allowed to carry weapons capable of harming citizens. When I was a child, police where whom you turned to for help, not those you flee from as more dangerous than the criminals themselves, as is often the case with this bad press and poorer public relations. Building bridges, does not use Molotov cocktails to burn them down around us all. While I think this incident is minor, no one was hurt and no lasting damage has been done, if this is allowed to continue then what is next to happen? Just how out of control would Officer Maufrais 7432 be? False arrests? Physical assault? Or as we have seen on too many other videos, police officers illegally take human life without just cause? The city of Austin pays a salary to each officer to uphold the law. Can you honestly say those officers did so Saturday night? Whose law where they upholding? The police Department have internal policies, rules of conduct. Can you say with a straight face those offices acted within those guidelines or anywhere close to them? The US Constitution has the 1st Amendment allowing for the Freedom of the Press. Did your officers shower you, your police department and the City of Austin in the Great State of Texas of the United States of America by their actions this weekend to uphold this one citizen his right to be a citizen journalist? I would say they have not. My question thus can be put to you in a very simple fashion; what will you do about it as the leader, their commander and to whom the city has entrusted to lead their police force, make no mistake the police is owned, funded and fully under citizen control. What then will you do about this incident for it will be how the citizens judge you for your ability to uphold the law, their codes and their peace.