Austin Police get warrants for suspects in alleged transphobic assault at Barton Springs

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department obtained arrest warrants for two men on charges related to the July 26 assault of a man, who had attempted to intervene in the allegedly transphobic harassment of women at Barton Springs.

The two suspects, who have not yet been arrested, are both wanted on charges of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, according to Travis County District Court records.

KXAN previously reported that APD officers and Austin-Travis County EMS personnel were called to Barton Springs for reports of a disturbance.

“The initial caller reported that an individual had been physically assaulted and was on the ground, bleeding,” said APD about the incident. “When officers arrived on the scene, they located one victim who was being treated by [ATCEMS] and subsequently transported to a local hospital.”

In an arrest warrant affidavit, an APD detective claims that one of the victims allegedly told the responding officers that the incident “began following a transphobic comment made by one of the suspects.”

“The interaction between the two groups began when one of the men started flirting with [witness]. She described the initial engagement as ‘nice’ until the man suddenly said ‘I just want you to know, I don’t agree with that,” the affidavit states. “When [witness] asked him to clarify, the man pointed to [witness’ transgender friend] and said, ‘that just really grosses me the f*** out.”

Shortly after that statement, the witness was “shoved to the ground” and a man was knocked out, according to the affidavit.

In a portion of the affidavit covering a July 30 follow-up interview with the witness, the detective wrote that tensions escalated when the witness’ transgender friend arrived.

“At one point, (a suspect) accused all three women of being transgender,” the detective wrote. “The male group started yelling [transphobic slur] and calling them ‘disgusting.'”

In response to this, the trans woman flipped her middle finger at the men.

The affidavit also details an August 21 interview with one of the suspects. He told the detective that the group didn’t make any transphobic statements, according to the affidavit. He also allegedly claimed that the group of women instigated the exchange by yelling and making obscene gestures.

The affidavit also claims that cell phone video shows that a suspect hit the man, who intervened on the women’s behalf, in the head twice before the man could swing back at him. According to APD, the other suspect then allegedly approached from a blind spot and punched the man in the head.

“As a result of the assault … [he] suffered a fractured jaw, which required a surgical procedure to have his jaw wired shut for a period of four weeks, and a punctured ear canal,” APD said. Neither of the suspects were injured in the incident, police said.