An out-of-control street racing in Austin, Texas, injured one police officer and caused many bystanders to catch fire.
Saturday night at about 9 p.m., the Austin Police Department got many 911 calls reporting cars and a crowd causing mayhem by blocking an intersection, blowing off fireworks, and street racing in the downtown area.
The boisterous crowd started throwing pyrotechnics, bottles, rocks, and laser pointers at responding policemen, damaging several police vehicles.
“One officer sustained a non-life-threatening injury, was treated at a local hospital, and was released,” according to the department.
Two suspects were detained for avoiding police, and the event is still being investigated.
“APD is committed to stopping this conduct. Lawbreaking in this manner will result in enforcement and arrest. Our community’s safety is the #1 priority for APD,” the department wrote on Twitter.
🚨UPDATE: Last night's street racing in Austin injured one APD officer and damaged several police cars.
APD is committed to stopping this conduct. Lawbreaking in this manner will result in enforcement and arrest. Our community's safety is the #1 priority for APD.🚨 https://t.co/Gp7oiCz30S— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) February 19, 2023
A pickup truck was seen speeding through flames and doing donuts at a junction in a video of the chaotic street race, also known as a takeover, shared online.
When the vehicle ran over the fire, it caused a tiny explosion that sent flames hurtling towards the audience below.
Many people could be seen in the video running naked and trying to get to safety as others cheered and laughed and wanted to pat them down for explosives.
Unfortunately, we have no idea how they are doing.
Another Twitter video shows a large group of people pushing back a police cruiser by bashing on its hood, despite the car’s flashing lights and piercing sirens.
To get away from the unruly mob and the unknown offender who had just let off a firework on the hood of the police car, the officer backed up.
Once the crowd started to thin out, the disorder subsided, but not until around two in the morning.
Alison Alter, a local council member, expressed fury about the occurrence, telling the Austin American-Statesman that she tried to phone 911 to report the takeover and was put on wait for 28 minutes.
According to a Fox News report from October, a shortage of 911 operators has caused long wait times in Austin, with the typical caller waiting 2.5 minutes.
The Austin Police Association went on social media to criticise the city’s legislators, saying they “failed to make the appropriate decisions & continue to defund, damage, & demoralise public safety.”
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Several other Texas legislators, alarmed by the unfolding mayhem on social media, have begun demanding action to halt hazardous takeovers like these.
“God bless our brave men and women in blue! Especially those working in cities where they’re undervalued, underpaid and under attack, like in Austin,” State Rep. Jeff Leach wrote on Twitter.
“This is a terrible event that happened last night in Austin. We should come together as a community to figure out how to keep this from happening again, how to keep our community safe, and how to enable our law enforcement to respond in a quick and effective manner.” Rep. Vikki Goodwin wrote on Twitter about the Takeover.
This is a terrible event that happened last night in Austin. We should come together as a community to figure out how to keep this from happening again, how to keep our community safe, and how to enable our law enforcement to respond in a quick and effective manner. https://t.co/ch1jwVm0Xi
— Rep. Vikki Goodwin (@VikkiGoodwinTX) February 19, 2023
