* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. HI, SYLVIA. WE'RE READY [00:00:01] TO GO. GOOD EVENING. UM, TODAY [CALL TO ORDER] IS JANUARY 23RD, 2023. TIME SIX 17. WE'RE GONNA OPEN UP THE, UM, WE HAVE A QUORUM TO GO AHEAD AND START THE C P R C COMMUNITY, UM, MEETING. THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO IA CASE 2 1 36. MY NAME IS RICHARD BARNER. I AM THE CHAIR OF C P R C. WE ALSO HAVE THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS ON THE CALL. IF YOU COULD EACH INTRODUCE YOURSELF, STARTING WITH KAVIN, YOU'RE MUTE. HELLO, THIS IS COMMISSIONER LAURA SPENCER, COMMISSIONER BOB COMMISSIONER. WE ALSO HAVE, UM, OUR O P O P DIRECTOR. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. SYLVIA HARTMAN. UH, INTERIM DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF POLICE OVERSIGHT. WE ALSO HAVE OUR LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE. GOOD EVENING, NEIL FGO FROM THE LAW DEPARTMENT. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR THE INTRODUCTIONS. UM, WE'RE NOW RICHARDS, UH, COMMISSIONER AS WELL. THANK YOU. YEP. THANK YOU VINCENT. UM, NOW WE'RE DONE WITH THE INTRODUCTIONS. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START OFF THE COMMUNITY, [2. PUBLIC COMMENT] UM, INPUTS. OKAY. FIRST, UH, SPEAKER WILL BE ELIZABETH GONZALEZ. ELIZABETH, IF YOU'RE WITH US TODAY, CAN YOU PUT YOUR HANDS UP? UM, I DON'T SEE A NAME THAT MATCHES THAT NAME ON OUR LIST. ALSO, WHILE WE'RE WAITING ON ELIZABETH TO JOIN US, WE WOULD LIKE FOR ALL THESE SPEAKERS TO KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT. AND, UM, PLEASE ADHERE TO THAT AS WE MOVE FORWARD. WE HAVE QUITE A FEW SPEAKERS THIS EVENING. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER. UM, I DON'T SEE ELIZABETH, SO I MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON. AND WHILE WE ARE WAITING ON THE NEXT PERSON, ALSO, I UNDERSTAND YOU CANNOT SHARE YOUR TIME. SO, UM, ONCE YOUR THREE MINUTES ARE UP, UH, WHATEVER AMOUNT OF TIME YOU USE, LONG AS IT DOES NOT EXCEED THREE MINUTES. OKAY. THE NEXT SPEAKER ON THE LIST IS CHRIS HARRIS. HI, I, I'VE GOT, UH, ELIZABETH HERE WITH ME. UM, THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T SEE HER SEPARATE ON THERE. UH, CAN SHE GO AHEAD AND SPEAK AND THEN, AND THEN I'LL GO. YES, SHE CAN SPEAK FIRST. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT ON CAMERA, IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST AUDIO. OKAY. HELLO EVERYONE. MY NAME'S ELIZABETH GONZALEZ. MY SON WAS ALEX GONZALEZ. UM, WE NEED TO GET THE SHEEP TO GET THEM OFFICERS FIRED CUZ WHAT THEY'RE TEACHING IS ROAD RAGE. WELL, THAT OFFICER HAD ROAD RAGE. HE WAS ALSO ON STEROIDS. SO DON'T CONTRADICT WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO TEACH. PLEASE HELP ME OUT AND GET THESE OFFICERS FIRED CUZ WHAT THEY DID TO MY SON WAS WRONG. THEY MURDERED MY SON. THEY DIDN'T, HE DIDN'T JUST HAVE ONE OR TWO BULLETS. HE HAD MULTIPLE BULLETS WHERE I CAN'T EVEN GO TO TELL YOU. I KNOW WHERE THEY, EACH PART OF EACH BULLET WAS, BUT I CAN'T GO INTO FURTHER DETAILS. BUT THAT, AND PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE THESE OFFICERS DID WRONG WHAT THEY DID TO MY SON. I'M NOT THE SAME, NEVER BEEN THE SAME. . I MISS MY SON SO MUCH, I COULD NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN. THEY TOOK HIM FROM ME. THEY INTERRUPTED MY LIFE. I DID NOT INTERRUPT THEM. THEY INTERRUPTED MINE BECAUSE OF THE COP WANTED TO HAVE ROAD RAGE. HE WANTED TO HAVE ROAD RAGE AND THAT WAS MESSED UP. MY SON DID NOT DESERVE TO GET MURDERED. HE DID NOT DESERVE TO GET MURDERED. IF YOU COULD PLEASE HELP ME OUT AND GET THESE OFFICERS FIRED, I WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. WE NEED TO GET THE CHIEF TO FIRE THESE COPS. THEY DESERVE NOT TO HAVE A JOB. THEY DESERVE NOT TO LIVE HAPPILY, LIKE I'M NOT LIVING. CAN'T NOBODY TAKE, CAN NOBODY TAKE THE SUFFERING THAT I HAVE FROM MY SON. AND I HAVE TO BE HIS VOICE. I HAVE TO BE [00:05:01] HIS VOICE. I'M NOT GONNA LET THIS DIE OUT. WE NEED YOUR HELP TO HELP US TO GET RID OF THESE COPS BECAUSE IF NOT ALL ARE TEACHING US THE SAME THING AS HAPPENING OVER AND OVER. CORRUPTED SYSTEM. CORRUPTED SYSTEM FROM MY COLOR OF PEOPLE. MY COLOR OF PEOPLE ALWAYS GET FAILED WITH EVERYTHING. WE LOSE EVERYTHING ALL THE TIME. WHAT DO Y'ALL LOSE? NOTHING. WE'RE THE ONES WHO HAVE TO BE IN FEAR OF OUR LIVES EVERY DAY BECAUSE OF OUR COLOR. Y'ALL CAN'T UNDERSTAND THAT. MY SON DID NOT DO NOTHING BUT TRY TO GO HOME. AND THIS COP CUT HIM OFF WHERE MY SON CUT HIM OFF BY ACCIDENT. AND THIS COP JUST SHOT IN THE CAR WITH THE BABY IN THERE AND WAS STILL AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME WHEN THEY, WHEN STO WAS STILL SHOOTING OFF. HE LISTENED, TORE, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE, IF YOU LISTEN TO THE AUDIO, WAS TELLING HIM STO TO SHOOT HIM AND SHOOT HIM. AND THAT'S WHAT HE DID. HE SHOT HIM FOR NO REASON. YOU COULD'VE TOUCHED MY SON AND HE WOULD'VE DIED. HE DIDN'T HAVE NOTHING IN HIS HANDS THE WHOLE TIME THAT THEY WERE, THEY SAW HIM. HE HAD NOTHING, NO REASON FOR HIM TO SERRAO TO EVEN SHOOT AT HIM. HE DIDN'T HAVE A GUN, HE DIDN'T HAVE NO KIND OF WOMAN TO SCARE THEM PEOPLE. HE WAS NO THREAT. YOU COULDN'T EVEN ASK DANIEL PERRY CUZ HE DIDN'T EVEN SHOOT. THAT WAS A THIRD OFFICER THAT WAS THERE AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. HE DIDN'T, HE HE DIDN'T FEAR. HE KNEW THAT THERE WAS NOTHING TO FEAR. MY SON WAS ALREADY SHOT. THANK YOU. I I'LL GO AHEAD AND START MY REMARKS NOW IF THAT'S ALRIGHT. YEAH. SO MY NAME IS CHRIS HARRIS AND I'M THE POLICY DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION. UM, AND I'M HERE CALLING IN SOLIDARITY AND SUPPORTER OF FAMILY'S DEMAND TO FIRE THESE OFFICERS. UM, I THINK, I THINK THE, THE SIMPLEST EXPLANATION FOR ME IS THAT, UM, WHEN, WHEN WE LOOKED THE SITUATION, UM, ALEX GONZALEZ, UH, AND, AND JESSICA AND, AND THE BABY PULLED UP ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE OF GUTIERREZ, UM, GUTIERREZ, UM, THEN SHOT ACROSS JESSICA. HE, HE, HE CLAIMS TO HAVE SEEN ALEX WITH A GUN ACROSS, UM, ACROSS JESSICA. BUT, BUT THEN NOT TO SEE A BABY LITERALLY RIGHT BEHIND JESSICA ON THE SAME SIDE AS HIM BECAUSE THEY PULLED UP ON HIS SIDE OF THE CAR AND THE BABY WAS RIGHT BEHIND JESSICA, RIGHT BEHIND IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR. AND, AND SO HE, HE VERY RECKLESSLY SHOT INTO THIS CAR AND, AND SHOT JESSICA, WHOM HE NEVER CLAIMED TO HAVE ANY WEAPON THREE TIMES. AND THE SUBSEQUENT OFFICER ALSO SHOT VERY RECKLESSLY INTO THIS CAR. AND, AND IT IS REALLY, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S INCONTROVERTIBLE THAT IT'S ONLY BY VIRTUE OF LUCK THAT THIS BABY WAS NOT HARMED. UM, WHILE, WHILE THIS, DURING THIS INCIDENT, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT THE REPORTS, THERE WERE, UH, DEFECTS FROM GUNFIRE, UH, ON THE, ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE IN THE BACKSEAT WINDOW, UH, OBVIOUSLY ON THE PASSENGER BACKSEAT DOOR, ON THE, ON THE PASSENGER BACKSEAT QUARTER PANEL. UM, LITERALLY ALL AROUND THIS INFANT THERE WERE, UH, THERE WERE GUNFIRE DEFECTS INTO THE VEHICLE. IT IS LITERALLY BY LUCK THAT THIS INFANT WASN'T HARMED. AND, AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW THAT IF THIS INFANT HAD BEEN HARMED IN THIS SITUATION, THERE WOULD BE NO QUESTION THAT THESE OFFICERS NOT ONLY WOULD BE GETTING FIRED, BUT WOULD, UH, HAVE BEEN INDICTED, UH, FOR, FOR THIS OFFENSE. UH, AND SO THE QUESTION THEN IS ARE, ARE WE GOING TO ALLOW THESE OFFICERS TO REMAIN ON THE FORCE BY VIRTUE OF THE LUCK THAT THEY DID NOT SHOOT AND HARM THIS INFANT IN THE BACKSEAT OF A CAR THAT THEY RECKLESSLY FIRED? AS LIZ MENTIONED MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE ROUNDS INTO, AND, AND I, AND I, AGAIN, I I, I THINK THE ANSWER TO THAT SHOULD BE VERY OBVIOUSLY THAT NO, WE'RE NOT GOING TO, TO ALLOW RECKLESS OFFICERS TO STAY ON THE FORCE BECAUSE WHEN THEY RECKLESSLY USE FORCE, THEY LUCKILY DON'T, UH, SHOOT AN INFANT. OKAY? SO I THINK THAT IS THE QUESTION ULTIMATELY BEFORE YOU, AND, AND ONE THAT AGAIN, WE REALLY HOPE THAT YOU ARE GOING TO PUBLICLY RECOMMEND, UH, UH, FIRING THESE OFFICERS. AND NOT ONLY FOR WHAT THEY'VE DONE HERE IN THIS CASE, BUT BECAUSE THEIR RECKLESSNESS IN THIS CASE, UH, POINTS TO AN ONGOING THREAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE IMMENSE POWERS THAT POLICE MAINTAIN TO USE FORCE TO THE SIDE LIFE AND DEATH OBVIOUSLY, TO, TO OPERATE, UH, UH, THESE DEADLY WEAPONS. UM, THEY REPRESENT ONGOING THREAT TO PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, WERE THEY, TO MAINTAIN THOSE POWERS AND, AND THE, THE, THE ABILITY TO PATROL OUR COMMUNITIES. SO, AGAIN, REALLY, UH, URGE YOU, UH, TO, TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S AT STAKE HERE. TO UNDERSTAND OBVIOUSLY THE, THE, THE PAIN THAT THIS FAMILY HAS, HAS GONE THROUGH OVER TWO YEARS, UH, AND THE TOTAL LACK ACCOUNTABILITY THAT THERE'S BEEN, UH, FOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK, THANK YOU FOR MR. HARRIS. [00:10:05] THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BILL WALLACE. BILL, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, YOU ARE ON MUTE. HELLO? CAN YOU GUYS HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GOOD DEAL. UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS BILL WALLACE AND, UH, I AM A, UH, BORN, RAISED AUSTIN KNIGHT HERE IN, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY. I'M ALSO THE, UH, FOUNDER AND DIRECTOR OF TOMORROW'S PROMISE FOUNDATION, UM, A LOCAL NONPROFIT. AND, UH, IT'S VERY UNFORTUNATE THAT I HAVE TO BE ON THIS CALL TONIGHT, UM, WHEN I CAN BE OUT ADVOCATING FOR, UH, YOUNG STUDENTS HERE IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS AREA. UH, I'M CALLING IN SOLIDARITY, UH, WITH ELIZABETH AND THE REST OF THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ JR. TO URGE YOU TO MAKE, UM, A PUBLIC RECOMMEND OR A RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LOUIS SORATO, THEIR QUICKNESS, UH, IN USING CAPRICIOUS AND ARBITRARY LETHAL FORCE AND THE UNWILLINGNESS OF THEM TO DEESCALATE, UM, A SITUATION THAT, UM, DID NOT, UH, WARRANT, UM, UH, VIOLENT OR, OR, OR DEADLY FORCE. UM, AND WITH THIS IN MIND, WHILE AN INFANT WAS IN THE BACK SEAT OF THE CAR, CAR. SO, UM, I, I THINK THAT THEIR EMPLOYMENT, UH, WITH THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AT THIS STAGE, UM, UH, IS A STATEMENT OR AN INDICTMENT AGAINST PEOPLE OF COLOR, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT POOR PEOPLE, THAT OUR LIVES AND THAT OUR DIGNITY JUST DON'T MATTER. UM, AND THAT, UH, THERE'S GONNA BE A BLUE SHIELD SET UP IN PLACE FOR ANY OFFICERS WHO, UH, REACT OUT OF EMOTION, UH, OR RAGE SET ON, BECAUSE THEY HAD AN ENCOUNTER THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT THEY DIDN'T LIKE. AND I THINK THAT YOU GUYS HAVE A, A, A MORAL AND A AND A AND A SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY TO, UM, SPEAK OUT AND TO RECOMMEND, UH, THE FIRING AND THE DISCIPLINE, UH, OF THESE OFFICERS IN THIS SITUATION. UH, WE HAVE TO SEND A MESSAGE TO, TO AUSTIN, UH, AND TRAVIS COUNTY, THAT, THAT THIS CAN'T AND WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN A CITY, UH, SUCH AS OUR OWN. AGAIN, UH, I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE GONZALEZ FAMILY AND WITH THE GREATER COMMUNITY BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE ARE SPEAKING FOR THE COMMUNITY, UH, IN SAYING THAT THESE OFFICERS NEED TO BE FIRED. EVERYONE IN THE COMMUNITY, EVERYONE THAT ATTENDED A RALLY, EVERYONE WHO, UH, SHOWED UP AT, AT TOWN HALL, EVERYONE WHO PROTESTED THIS, UH, UH, VERY, VERY UNFORTUNATE, UH, MURDER OF ALEX GONZALEZ OKAY. WAS SPEAKING FOR THEM. THANK YOU MR. WALLACE, FOR YOUR COMMENTS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS NATHAN FERNANDEZ. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. HI, MY NAME IS NATHAN FERNANDEZ. I'M A NATIVE IN AUSTINITE AND A FRIEND OF ELIZABETH GONZALEZ. UM, I'M ALSO CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ JR. UM, AND EXPRESSING OUR DEEP DISAPPOINTMENT AND LACK OF ACCOUNTABILITY SO FAR FOR THE POLICE THAT KILLED HIM, UH, OVER TWO YEARS AGO, FOLLOWING THE GRAND JURY DECISION NOT TO INDICT. UM, YOU ALL AT THE C UH, C P R C HAVE A TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITY TO HELP, UM, YOU KNOW, MAKE A PROFOUND, UH, CHANGE ON THIS COMMUNITY AND EVERYBODY THAT'S BEEN AFFECTED ON BY ALEX GONZALEZ'S MURDER. UM, AND WE ARE CALLING IT URGING, UH, YOU ALL TO MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LOUIS TITO. UM, AS MANY CALLERS HAVE MENTIONED ALREADY, I THINK WE JUST ALL EXPRESS, UM, DISCUSSED AT THE ACTS OF THE OFFICERS AND, UH, ESPECIALLY THE OFF THE OFF-DUTY, UM, NATURE OF OFFICER REACTING VIOLENTLY, UM, ESPECIALLY WHILE A CHILD IS IN THE CAR. UM, I THINK IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT THESE OFFICERS ARE A DANGER TO THE PUBLIC, [00:15:01] UH, AND THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AN ON ONGOING THREAT TO THE COMMUNITY. UM, MANY OF WHOM, UH, ARE VERY VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE. AND I THINK THIS, UH, REFLECTS INDIFFERENCE ABOUT THE CITY, UM, ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE HERE. SO WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALEX AND FIRING THE OFFICERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS AMBER WATTS. HEY, EVERYONE. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. OKAY. UH, MY NAME IS AMBER WATSON. I'M CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ, JR. I'M CALLING TO URGE ALL OF YOU TO MAKE A PUBLIC AND TO MAKE A PUBLIC, UM, RECOMMENDATION TO FIRE THE OFFICERS, GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LUIS STO. THEIR RECKLESS REACTION AND USE OF LETHAL FORCE AND UNWILLINGNESS TO EXA DEESCALATE, ESPECIALLY WITH AN INFANT IN THE BACKSEAT OF THAT CAR, SHOWS HOW UNSAFE THEY ARE AS OFFICERS ON THE STREET. THEY DO NOT, THAT IS NOT SAFE. PROTECTING PEOPLE, THAT IS PUTTING THEM IN DANGER. AND CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS AN ONGOING THREAT TO PEOPLE LIKE ME AND ALL OF A BLACK AND BROWN AND POOR PEOPLE IN THIS CITY. WE REMAIN THE MOST VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE AND ACTS SUCH AS THESE. AND THIS SHOWS A TOTAL INDIFFERENCE BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN. IN REFERENCE TO PROTECTING PEOPLE LIKE ME THAT LIVE HERE AND WORK HERE, WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALEX. THANK YOU, MS. WATTS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS CHAZ MOORE. HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. UM, YEAH, I'M CHAZ MOORE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, UM, OF THE AUSTIN JUSTICE COALITION. UM, I'VE, I'VE HAD A, UH, UM, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA SAY PRIVILEGE, UM, BUT, BUT WEIRD, UM, CONNECTION TO POLICE MURDERS IN AUSTIN NOW FOR ABOUT SEVEN YEARS. UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY HAVE LOOKED AT AJC AND ME AS A, AS A BEACON OF HOPE WHEN THESE THINGS COME UP. UM, AND OVER THE LAST SEVEN YEARS I'VE BEEN TO SOME, YOU KNOW, ITERATION OF WHAT THIS BOARD OF COMMISSION YOU ALL ARE SITTING ON. SO I'M VERY AWARE OF THE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AT PLACE. UM, SO I'M NOT GONNA BEG YOU ALL TO DO ANYTHING BECAUSE I KNOW, UM, THERE'S LIMITED POWERS, UM, AT, AT PLAY HERE. UM, BUT YOU KNOW, I I JUST WANT YOU ALL TO IMAGINE LIKE THAT ALEX GONZALEZ WAS YOUR SON, THAT HE WAS YOUR NEIGHBOR, THAT HE WAS YOUR BROTHER, YOUR DAUGHTER, OR WHATEVER, LIKE, OR, OR, YOU KNOW, I LIKE, I, I, I JUST, I I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW, UM, THIS GROUP OF PEOPLE THAT I KNOW, NONE OF YOU ALL, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE YOU, YOU CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT LIZ HAS BEEN SITTING THROUGH FOR THE PAST YEAR WHILE THIS COP IS STILL ON THE FORCE. AND I JUST WANNA REITERATE THIS POINT, UM, THAT NOBODY'S ASKING YOU TO CONDEMN THE WHOLE POLICE DEPARTMENT. NOBODY'S SAYING ALL COPS ARE BAD. NOBODY'S SAYING WE NEED TO GET RID OF ALL THE POLICE IN THIS MOMENT. WE'RE NOT SAYING THAT. UM, I'M JUST ASKING YOU ALL AS INDIVIDUALS, EVEN OUTSIDE OF YOUR CAPACITY ON THIS COMMISSION, JUST AS HUMAN INDIVIDUALS TO CONSIDER THE RIGHT THING. AND MAYBE THAT RIGHT THING IS SAYING THAT, HEY, WE NEED TO GET BAD COPS OFF OUR POLICE FORCE. UM, AND I WOULD, I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GOOGLE THE NAME AS YOU SIT HERE AND LOOK LIKE YOU'RE HALFWAY PAYING ATTENTION TO PEOPLE AS THEY SPEAK. UM, I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU ALL TO GOOGLE THE NAME TYREE NICHOLS, UM, AND GET READY FOR ANOTHER WAVE IN THE MOMENTUM OF THIS ONGOING CONVERSATION AROUND WHY WE NEED TO REALLY HAVE CRITICAL THINKING AROUND POLICING IN THE 21ST CENTURY. SO, UM, HOPEFULLY YOU HEARD THE MOTHER IN HER CRIES. HOPEFULLY YOU HEARD THE PEOPLE IN THEIR CRIES AND CAN JUST CONSIDER THE SMALLEST AMOUNT OF AN ASK AND, AND ASK THE POLICE FORCE TO GET THESE QUOTE UNQUOTE BAD COPS, UM, OFF THE POLICE FORCE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. MOORE. NEXT ON THE LIST IS CLARIN WILLIAMS. HELLO. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. MY NAME IS CLARINE WILLIAMS. UM, I'M A REVOLUTIONARY ACTIVE RESULT AND EDUCATOR WITH THE BLACK LEADERS COLLECTIVE, UH, ROSALY NOVEL, THE PEACE PROGRAM, GRASSROOTS LEADERSHIP ALSO. UM, I'M HERE IN SOLITARY WITH THE, UM, THE MOTHER OF MR. ALEX GONZALEZ JR. AND WE'RE ASKING [00:20:01] FOR THE FIRING OF THESE OFFICERS. THESE, THIS POLICE DEPARTMENT IS PLAGUED WITH RAPE AND MURDER, BURNING DOWN BLACK PEOPLE, BUSINESSES, RACISM. WE, WE'VE TRIED EVERYTHING THAT WE COULD TRY. WE, WE'VE, WE'VE CHANGED NUMEROUS OF CHIEFS OF POLICE, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS. WE'VE ASKED, WE BEGGED, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE, WE'VE EVEN COME SO FAR TO BURN DOWN OUR OWN BACKYARD, OUR OWN CITY, TO GET YOU GUYS TO HEAR US. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME DISPLAY OF JUSTICE. MY BROTHER LAWRENCE PERS WAS SHOT APRIL 7TH, 2017, AND HE PASSED AWAY. AND MARCUS JOHNSON, HIS MURDERER, IS STILL ON THE FORCE. THE MURDERERS. AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT NEEDS TO HAVE A DISPLAY. WE'VE TRIED DEFUNDING THE POLICE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE TRIED NUMEROUS TIMES OF WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY AND WORKING WITH THEM THROUGH DIFFERENT NUMEROUS OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS, MEETING THEM DEAD ON. I'VE BEEN IN SOLITARY WITH THE, WITH THE MOTHER OF THE SLAIN FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS NOW. UM, I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU GUYS HEAR OUR VOICE AND MAKE SOME STRONG DECISIONS. WE CAN'T GET ANYBODY ELSE TO MAKE ANY STRONG DECISIONS. WHATEVER YOU GOTTA DO, BRING IT BACK UP. BUT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME STRONG DECISIONS MADE AND SOME CHANGE. EVERY TIME WE TAKE ONE STEP FORWARD, WE GO 10 STEPS BACK AND WE GIVE THESE GUYS THE KEY TO THE CITY. WE GIVE THEM THE ACCESS TO THE CITY AS IF THEY DESERVE IT. AND THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT DESERVE IT. THEY DO, THEY DO NOT DESERVE OUR TRUST, AND THEY DO NOT DESERVE OUR SYMPATHY WHEN WE DON'T HAVE ANYBODY CALLING OUT THESE WITHIN THEIR PROGRAMS. THEY HAVE SWINDLED MONEY, THEY HAVE REGISTERED AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION. THERE IS TOO MANY THINGS THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS DONE TO DEGRADE THE INTEGRITY WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT. AND IT NEEDS TO STOP. TODAY. I AM JUST ANOTHER ADD-ON VOICE OF THE PAIN OF THE SORROWS OR THE FAMILIES OF THE SLAIN FROM THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. BUT THERE ARE MANY BEHIND US. THERE ARE MANY MORE. THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT MAY, MAY NOT EVEN BE ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT TRUST ME, THEIR HEARTS AND THEIR SPIRITS ARE WITH US, AND THEY ARE HOPING FOR THE CHANGE THAT WE SEE FIT WITHIN THIS CITY. THIS CITY IS THE TIME, THIS IS THE CHANCE, THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO START SETTING SOME EXAMPLES AROUND THE GLOBE. BUT WE MUST START HERE WITH HOME. WE DIDN'T GET JUSTICE FOR LAWRENCE PARISH. WE DIDN'T GET JUSTICE FOR LANDON NOBLES. WE DIDN'T GET JUSTICE FOR A LOT OF NAMES OF THE SL WE'RE ASKING, WE DIDN'T GET JUSTICE FOR MIKE RAMOS. WE NEED JUSTICE NOW. WE NEED SOME TYPE OF DISPLAY OF YOU GUYS LISTENING TO US. CAUSE AT THIS POINT, JUST LIKE MR. CHA MOORE SAID, WE DON'T BELIEVE YOU'RE LISTENING TO US, GUYS, SO WE NEED YOU ON OUR TEAM. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, MR. WILLIAMS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS EVA SYKES. IF YOU'RE HERE, EVA, CAN YOU PLEASE, UM, RAISE YOUR VIRTUAL HAND? IS EVA SYKES ON THE CALL? OKAY. SO WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO THE NEXT PERSON, WHICH IS PAULETTE SOLTANI. HI, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. GREAT, THANKS. HI, MY NAME IS PAULETTE SULTANI AND I'M CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ TO URGE YOU TO MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS. GABRIELLE GUTIERREZ AND LUIS SERRATO. I'M THE DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZING AT THE TEXAS HARM REDUCTION ALLIANCE. WE ARE A SERVICE PROVIDER HERE IN AUSTIN, AND WE PROVIDE LIFESAVING SERVICES TO PEOPLE LIVING WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER, PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS, AND MANY OF THE MOST MARGINALIZED PEOPLE ACROSS AUSTIN. SADLY, OUR CLIENTS FACE POLICE PRESENCE EVERY DAY ON THE STREETS IN THEIR CAMPSITES, REALLY EVERYWHERE THEY GO. WE CANNOT TRUST THESE OFFICERS TO PROTECT OR SERVE OUR CLIENTS OR ANY PERSON LIVING IN THIS CITY. THEY ACTED RECKLESSLY. THEY WERE UNWILLING TO DEESCALATE, AND THEY MURDERED A FATHER, A SON, A PARTNER, A FRIEND, AND THEY ALMOST MURDERED HIS BABY SO LONG AS THEY REMAIN ON THE FORCE. THESE POLICE OFFICERS ARE AN ONGOING THREAT TO OUR CLIENTS EVERY DAY AND TO PEOPLE ACROSS OUR COMMUNITY. WE NEED JUSTICE FOR ALEX. WE NEED TO URGE YOU TO MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION TO FIRE THE OFFICERS WHO MURDERED. ALEX, THANK YOU. THANK YOU. UH, THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ALICIA TORRES. DAWN, HELLO, MY NAME IS ALICIA [00:25:01] TORRES. I'M A MEMBER OF THE ICE, UM, VICE FOR THE AUSTIN, UH, VICE, FOR THE AUSTIN AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMUNITY GROUP. AND I'M CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ JR. UH, THE LIFE OF ALEX GONZALEZ WAS FINALLY TAKEN AS HE WAS TRYING TO PROTECT HIS CHILD FROM HARM AT THE HANDS OF OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LU, THAT IT IS A FA THAT IS A FACT. TODAY, TWO YEARS LATER, AFTER YET ANOTHER CHILD WAS LEFT WITHOUT A FATHER AT THE HANDS OF POLICE, THE GONZALEZ FAMILY IS STILL WAITING FOR JUSTICE, STILL WAITING FOR THESE OFFICERS TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS. TODAY, THE MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO OFFER THE GOAD FAMILY A SLITHER, A SLITHER OF THE JUSTICE THEY SEEK BY MAKING A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING, FIRING OF OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ ANDTO. MORE IMPORTANTLY, THIS BOARD HAS THE MORAL OBLIGATION TO LISTEN TO THE VOICES OF OUR COMMUNITY. WHEN WE SAY WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE, WE DO NOT FEEL SAFE. IF OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ RETURNED TO PATROL THE STREETS OF OUR COMMUNITY, THEY PROVED THEY COULD NOT BE TRUSTED WITH THEIR SAFETY. WHEN THEY CHOSE TO ACT WITH QUICKNESS TO FLEE THE FORCE INSTEAD OF DEESCALATING A WHILE IN INFANT, INFANT SAT IN THE BACK OF THE CAR. HOW WOULD YOU ALL FEEL IF YOU WERE PUT IN THAT SITUATION? WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY FOR MR. GONZALEZ'S? NOTHING. THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS NOT ONLY A SHAME, BUT AN OUTGOING, BUT AN ONGOING THREAT TO THE BLACK, BROWN AND POOR PEOPLE THAT REMAIN MOST VULNERABLE TO THE POLICE VIOLENCE IN OUR COMMUNITY. LET ME SAY THAT AGAIN. THEY ARE A THREAT TO ME AND MY COMMUNITY. THE ONLY, THE ONLY JUST IMMORAL WAY TO MOVE FORWARD IS FOR THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION TO DO THE RIGHT THING AND MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS. GARRE GUTIERREZ OFFICER, UH, POLICE CHIEF CHACON HAS REPEATED, HAS SAID PUBLICLY THAT HE'S AWAITING A RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS BOARD. DO THE RIGHT THING. YOU HAVE POWER TO INFLUENCE THE DECISION OF THE, OF THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. DO SO BY AGAIN, RECOMMENDING FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS. GABRIEL GUTIERREZ, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. TORRES. IS EVA SYKES ON THE CALL NOW? IF SO, HERE WE GO. YES, I AM. THANK YOU. AND I APOLOGIZE I WAS CALLED EARLIER AND, AND NOT PRESENT, SO THANK YOU FOR CIRCLING BACK. I WOULD LIKE TO ECHO THE, THE COMMENTS JUST MADE. UM, I'M HERE TO, UH, CALL UPON THE COMMISSION TO RECOMMEND THE, UM, THE, UH, DISCIPLINE OF THESE TWO OFFICERS AS A CIVILIAN AND A CONSTITUENT, AND SOMEONE WHO COUNTS UPON YOU ALL AS PARTS OF OUR GOVERNMENT TO HOLD THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTABLE AND KEEP OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY SAFE. THIS IS IMPERATIVE. OUR EYES ARE UPON YOU. UM, I, I CAN'T SPEAK BETTER THAN THE THE PERSON WHO JUST SPOKE BEFORE ME, BUT I, I, UH, ECHO THOSE SENTIMENTS AND CALL UPON YOU TO RECOMMEND THE FIRING OF THESE TWO OFFICERS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. SACHS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS IVANNA NERI. UH, IVANNA, IF YOU'RE ON THE CALL, IF YOU CAN PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND, IVANNA OR IVANA NERI. OKAY. THE NEXT SPEAKER WILL BE MIKE LEWIS. HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. HELLO, MY NAME IS MIKE LEWIS AND I'M CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALICE CONDU GONZALEZ, JR. TO URGE YOU TO MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR SEPARATING THE OFFICERS, GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LUIS SERRATO. UH, UP UNTIL RECENTLY, UM, I LIVED AT 24 50 WICKER SHAM LANE, UM, APARTMENT 1201. MY ADDRESS HAS THE DISTINCTION OF BEING THE CLOSEST RESIDENCE TO THE LOCATION ON WICKERSHAM WHERE ALEX WAS MURDERED. UM, I HEARD THE HAIL OF BULLETS FIRED BY THE OFFICERS THAT ENDED ALEX'S LIFE. UH, THEY WERE UNWILLING TO DEESCALATE AND FAR TOO QUICK TO USE LETHAL FORCE, WHICH IS UNACCEPTABLE. IN MY FOUR YEARS OF LIVING ON WICKER SHAM LANE, I HEARD A FEW OCCASIONAL POPS THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN GUNSHOT NOISES, BUT THERE'S ONLY ONE OTHER INCIDENT WHERE I HEARD A FLURRY [00:30:01] OF GUNSHOTS ANYWHERE CLOSE TO THIS, WHICH WAS THE POLICE EXECUTION OF MIKE GRANDMA RAMOS JUST TWO BLOCKS TO THE WEST. UH, POLICE VIOLENCE IS ONE OF THE SINGLE BIGGEST THREATS TO PUBLIC SAFETY FOR MOST PEOPLE IN THIS PART OF AUSTIN. THESE OFFICERS CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT IS A THREAT TO MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES THAT REMAIN MOST VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE AND REFLECTS TOTAL INDIFFERENCE BY THE CITY ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE HERE. WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALEX, WHICH MEANS AN END TO THE WARRIOR COP MENTALITY. UM, THAT WAS DEFINITELY EXHIBITED HERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. LEWIS. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS BEVERLY LAZAR. CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. UH, MY NAME IS BEVERLY LAAR AND I BELIEVE THAT OFFICER GUTIERREZ ANDTO VIOLATED A P D POLICY BY USING UNREASONABLE FORCE AND MAKING ABSOLUTELY NO EFFORT TO DEESCALATE THE SITUATION. IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THESE PEOPLE WHO SHOULD NOT HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE LIFE OR DEATH DECISIONS SHOULD NOT HAVE THE POWER TO CARRY WEAPONS AND USE FORCE AT THEIR DISCRETION IN THE COMMUNITY. SO I STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY'S DEMAND THAT THESE OFFICERS BE FIRED, AS I SAID BEFORE, THEIR QUICKNESS TO USE LETHAL FORCE AND UNWILLINGNESS TO DEESCALATE ALL WHILE AN INFANT SAT IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR, MAKES THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AN ONGOING THREAT TO THE BLACK, BROWN AND POOR PEOPLE THAT REMAIN, EXCUSE ME, MOST VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE AND REFLECTS TOTAL INDIFFERENCE BY THE CITY ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE I DEMAND JUSTICE FOR. ALEX, THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MS. MAAR. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS ALICIA CASTILLO. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS ALICIA CASTILLO. I'M DIRECTOR OF POLICY AND ADVOCACY AT THE TEXAS CENTER FOR JUSTICE AND EQUITY. AND WE'RE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS SIMILARLY TO YOU ALL ON POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, UM, THOSE WITH GREATER POWER THAN WE ALL HAVE. BUT I'M ALSO A NEW MOM, AND I'M THE SAME AGE THAT ALEX JR. WOULD'VE BEEN, UM, HAD HE LIVED TO TODAY. AND I CAN REALLY RESONATE, UM, WITH THE PAIN THAT I HEAR IN LIZ'S VOICE WHEN SHE SPEAKS ABOUT HER SON. I CAN RESONATE WITH THE FEAR THAT ALEX, UM, MUST HAVE FELT WHEN THE BULLETS RAN DOWN ON HIS CAR, KNOWING THAT HE HAD A THREE MONTH OLD IN THE BACKSEAT, AND HOW TERRIFYING THAT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR A NEW PARENT. UM, AND SO I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T BRING ALEX JUNIOR BACK. WE CAN'T HEAL THE HARM TO HIS SON WHO'S NOW GROWING UP WITHOUT A FATHER. WE CAN'T HEAL THE HARM TO THE REST OF HIS FAMILY. BUT, UM, THERE IS A RESPONSIBILITY TO ENSURE THAT OFFICERS WHO ACT WITH THIS TYPE OF IMPUNITY LOSE THE POWER TO DO THAT AGAIN. UM, POLICING POLICIES, UM, WILL NOT PREVENT ALL HARM FROM HAPPENING TO PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY, BUT THEY ARE INTENDED TO PREVENT AND MITIGATE THIS TYPE OF HARM. SO I HOPE THAT WE CAN RELY ON THE POLICIES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND THAT YOU ALL WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, TO THE CHIEF TO FIRE, UM, OFFICERS GUTIERREZ AND SERRATO. THANK YOU, MS. CASTILLO. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS JOHN ISAM. HELLO, MY NAME IS JOHN ISAM. UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT POLICE OFFICERS CAN AND MUST BE HELD TO THE HIGHEST STANDARDS OF BEHAVIOR AND ACCOUNTABILITY. UM, ANY PARTICIPATION IN VIOLENT ESCALATION OF A TRAFFIC INCIDENT WITH OR WITHOUT INNOCENT PASSENGERS AROUND WITH OR WITHOUT INFANTS NEARBY. ANY PROPENSITY TOWARDS VIOLENT ESCALATION ENDANGERS THE COMMUNITY THAT POLICE EXIST TO SERVE AND PROTECT. LIKE THAT'S WHY THEY, WHY THEY'RE THERE. WHAT OFFICERS GABRIEL GUTIERREZ AND LOUIS SERRATO DID, DID GOES MUCH BEYOND ANY PROPENSITY TOWARDS VIOLENT ESCALATION. THEY FIRED MULTIPLE TIMES RANDOMLY, THEY SHOT A WOMAN WHO IS NOT INVOLVED IN THE TRAFFIC INCIDENT THAT, THAT STARTED THIS, THE OFFICER'S CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT IS CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO EVERY MEMBER OF OUR COMMUNITY. THEY'RE MOST DANGEROUS [00:35:01] BY FAR TO THE MOST VULNERABLE MEMBER MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE, ARE BLACK, BROWN, AND OTHERWISE MARGINALIZED MEMBERS. RIGHT NOW, HERE, THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THIS BOARD TO DO ITS JOB, AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOMMEND THAT OFFICERS THAT HAVE CLEARLY DEMONSTRATED THAT THEY ARE NOT THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO CAREFULLY DECIDE WHETHER LETHAL FORCE IS APPROPRIATE. THE ONLY APPROPRIATE DECISION IS THAT THEY NO LONGER HAVE THE POWER TO MARSHAL IT, MARSHAL THAT LETHAL FORCE, OR RECEIVE THE BENEFITS OF POLICE FORCE MEMBERSHIP. PLEASE RECOMMEND TO FIRE THEM. THANK YOU, MR. ISON. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS HEIDI SLOAN. HEY, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN. YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU. YES. SLOAN. OKAY. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS HEIDI SLOAN SLOAN. I AM A RESIDENT IN DISTRICT ONE IN AUSTIN, UNLIKE SO MANY PEOPLE CALLING TODAY, I AM IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAM FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ JR. AND I'M CALLING TO URGE YOU TO MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING OF OFFICERS. GABRIELLE GUTIERREZ AND LUIS SERATO, THEIR QUICKNESS TO USE LETHAL FORCE AND UNWILLINGNESS TO DEESCALATE ALL WHILE AN INFANT SAT IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR, MAKES THEIR CONDUCT AND THEIR CONTINUED EM EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, AN ONGOING THREAT TO THE BLACK, BROWN AND POOR PEOPLE THAT REMAIN MOST VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE AND REFLECTS TOTAL INDIFFERENCE BY THE CITY ABOUT PROTECTING THE PEOPLE HERE. WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALEX, AND I HOPE THAT BY THE END OF THE NIGHT YOU CAN REPEAT THAT SPEECH. I HAVE A FEELING YOU'RE GONNA KEEP HEARING IT HERE AND IN ANOTHER CONTEXT, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE, THE COMMUNITY ARE ASKING YOU TO STEP INTO YOUR SPECIFIC ROLE ON THIS COMMISSION AND DEMAND JUSTICE WITH US. THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION LISTENS TO AND PROMOTES THE COMMUNITY'S VOICE IN POLICING AND PUBLIC SAFETY IN AUSTIN. YOU CHAMPION CONDUCT PRACTICES AND POLICIES CENTERED IN DIGNITY AND EQUITY. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CHAMPION THE MEMORY OF ALEX WITH DIGNITY. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD HOLD THIS CASE TO THE STANDARD OF EQUITY. WE ASK THAT YOU WOULD CHAMPION THE DIG THE DIGNITY AND EQUITY OF AUSTIN RESIDENTS BY REMOVING THESE DANGEROUS OFFICERS FROM THE POWER AND THE THREAT THAT THEY POSE RIGHT NOW, AND THAT YOU SET A PRESIDENT IN RAISING YOUR VOICE ALONGSIDE OF OURS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUSTICE FOR ALEX. THANK YOU, MS. SLOAN. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS SHAO PAOLO CONNOLLY. HELLO, COMMISSIONERS. GOOD EVENING. I WANNA, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR, FOR THE WORK YOU'RE DOING AND FOR YOUR SERVICE AS A, AS A FORMER, UH, C P R C COMMISSIONER MYSELF. I KNOW THAT IT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S TOUGH WORK STAYING UP LATE NIGHTS, UM, GIVING YOUR YOUR TIME TO THE COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S PARTICULARLY DIFFICULT TO ADHERE TO THE MISSION OF, OF, OF THE ROLE, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE CIVILIAN OVERSIGHT TO A SYSTEM THAT IS DESIGNED AT EVERY TURN, UM, TO RESIST, UM, ANY FORM OF OVERSIGHT OR ACCOUNTABILITY, AND TO MAKE IT NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE, UM, FOR YOU TO FULFILL YOUR ACTUAL MISSION AS THE C P R C. SO, I SALUTE YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE, AND IT TAKES COURAGE TO KEEP PUSHING ON THIS FRONT. UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE S WHAT WE SAW WITH OFFICERS GUTIERREZ AND OFFICER SERRATO REFLECTS A PATTERN THAT I WITNESSED MANY TIMES IN THE CASES THAT WE REVIEWED ON THE C P R C A PATTERN, WHICH I THINK IS THE NORM AT A P D A TENDENCY TO ESCALATE VERY QUICKLY, UM, HYPER AGGRESSION, A KIND OF MINDLESS ESCALATION. UM, BASED ON THIS SORT OF MACHO WARRIOR MENTALITY THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT SO MUCH, THERE'S A TENDENCY TO SORT OF JUMP HEADFIRST INTO CONFLICT WITHOUT EVALUATING THE SITUATION, UH, WITHOUT PROVIDING THOUGHT TO THE SAFETY OF THE CIVILIAN LIVES, UM, IN THE, IN THE SITUATION. AND, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THIS VERY CLEARLY, UM, WITH, WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING WITH THE FACT THERE WAS A CHILD IN THE CAR, NO ATTENTION WAS PAID TO THAT FACT. THE FACT THAT, UH, AN INNOCENT, UM, WOMAN WAS, WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, WAS FIRED AT MULTIPLE TIMES, THE FACT THAT THIS WHOLE INCIDENT WAS THE RESULT OF THIS KIND OF RAGING ESCALATION. UM, AND, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE SEE FROM THE LEADERSHIP OF THE DEPARTMENT, ONE CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT A P D WANTS TO ENCOURAGE THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR, OR AT VERY LEAST SEND A CLEAR MESSAGE TO ITS OFFICERS THAT THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOR IS ALLOWED AND WILL BE PROTECTED AND WILL BE TOLERATED IN THE FUTURE. UM, SO I DON'T SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, IF THIS, UH, IF THE C P R C IS COMMITTED TO REALLY, YOU [00:40:01] KNOW, REFLECTING THE VALUES OF AUSTIN'S COMMUNITY AND THE KIND OF POLICING THAT WE WANNA SEE, I DON'T SEE HOW ANY RECOMMENDATION OTHER THAN THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE PUNISHMENT FOR THESE OFFICERS, UM, CAN, CAN BE MADE, UM, BY THIS COMMISSION. AND I HOPE YOU WILL CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION OF NO LESS THAN THE FIRING OF THESE OFFICERS. THEY DO NOT BELONG ON THE FORCE. AT VERY, VERY LEAST, WE SHOULD BE SENDING A CLEAR MESSAGE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THIS IS NOT THE KIND OF POLICING THAT WE WANNA SEE OR THAT WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE IN AUSTIN. AND UNFORTUNATELY, IT IS THE KIND OF POLICING THAT A P D ALL TOO OFTEN NOT ONLY ENCOURAGES, BUT SHELTERS AND PROTECTS AND SEEMS TO INVITE. SO I HOPE YOU'LL MAKE THE RIGHT DECISION TONIGHT. I KNOW THAT A P D WILL RESIST ANY RECOMMENDATIONS YOU MAKE AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE, AS THEY ALWAYS DID. THEY ALWAYS IGNORED OUR RECOMMENDATIONS. BUT NEVERTHELESS, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF VALUE IN A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FROM THIS COMMISSION. AND I, I THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR HARD WORK AND FOR THE COURAGE THAT IT TAKES TO DO YOUR JOB. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. CONNOLLY. THE NEXT SPEAKER IS GABRIELA KRONS. IF YOU'RE ON THE CALL, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND. GABRIELA KRONS. OKAY. IS REBECCA WEBBER ON THE CALL? THE NEXT SPEAKER IS REBECCA WEBER. OKAY, THEN THE LAST SPEAKER OF THE EVENING IS KAIROS LOONEY, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING, UH, WE, THERE YOU GO. HEY THERE. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? YES, WE CAN. LOVELY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. I KNOW, UH, I'M THE VERY LAST ONE, UM, BUT I JUST WANNA SAY GOOD EVENING. UH, MY NAME IS KAIROS LOONEY. UM, I'M ECHOING EVERYONE WHO HAS SPOKEN EARLIER. UM, I FEEL A LOT OF GRATITUDE FOR EVERYONE WHO'S ALREADY SPOKEN, AND I TOO AM CALLING IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE FAMILY OF ALEX GONZALEZ JR. UM, TO URGE YOU THE COMMUNITY POLICE REVIEW COMMISSION TO PLEASE MAKE A PUBLIC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRING OF THOSE TWO OFFICERS, GABRIELLE GUTIERREZ AND LUIS SORATO. AS EVERYONE HAS ALREADY STATED, UM, THAT RESPONSE OF ROAD RAGE, UH, FROM AN OFF DUTY COP, UM, AND AN ABSOLUTE UNWILLINGNESS TO DEESCALATE THE SITUATION. UM, AS EARLIER IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THERE WERE SO MANY, UH, DEFECTS FROM THE GUN IN THE BACKSEAT OF THE CAR, UM, WHILE AN INFANT WAS THERE, UH, THE INFANT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO BE, UH, EXPERIENCED, BODILY HARMED FOR THERE TO BE, UM, A RESPONSE OF THESE TWO OFFICERS BEING FIRED FROM THE FORCE. UM, THAT'S AN UNACCEPTABLE CONDITION. UH, THEY'RE CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT BY THE AUSTIN PUBLIC, UH, BY THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT. THAT'S AN ONGOING THREAT TO THE BLACK, BROWN AND POOR PEOPLE THAT, UH, CONTINUE TO REMAIN THE MOST VULNERABLE TO POLICE VIOLENCE, UM, AND THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT TODAY. IT, IT JUST REFLECTS A COMPLETE INDIFFERENCE THAT I, THAT I HOPE PEOPLE ON THIS BOARD DON'T FEEL, BUT IT COMPLETELY REFLECTS AN INDIFFERENCE TO PROTECTING THE PEOPLE HERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN. UH, WE DEMAND JUSTICE FOR ALEX. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MR. LU. OKAY. IF THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO AT THIS TIME, CLOSE THE COMMUNITY FORUM. MORE SPEAKERS. NO. OKAY. THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR YOUR TIME THIS EVENING, AND HAVE A GREAT EVENING. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.