Texas

Austin TV news photographer booked on two misdemeanors related to pro-Palestine protest at UT Austin

May 2, 2024

  

AUSTIN, Texas – Carlos Sanchez, the 43-year-old photographer for an Austin TV news station, is facing two new charges one week after he was arrested while covering a protest on the UT Austin campus, the Texas Department of Public Safety said Wednesday.

Troopers said Sanchez, who works for Fox 7 Austin, met with DPS Special Agents on Wednesday morning. During the meeting, Sanchez was charged with two misdemeanors — assault and interference with public duties.

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Sanchez was arrested again and booked into the Travis County Jail.

DPS said one of its troopers was struck in the “lower head and neck area” due to Sanchez’s camera.

“The department understands a journalist’s right to cover events of the day, and we work to ensure those rights are protected while also upholding the laws of this state,” DPS said in a statement Wednesday. “While journalists should be provided access, it is never acceptable to interfere with official police duties and assaulting an officer of the law – no matter the degree – will never be tolerated. DPS will always work to ensure the safety of our officers. Both law enforcement officers and journalists should be expected to do their jobs in a professional manner – and we strongly believe a line was crossed last week when one of our Troopers was assaulted while trying to do his job.

Sanchez was arrested during the April 24 protest when he was also booked into the Travis County Jail. He was initially charged with criminal trespassing, a misdemeanor, as well as assault against a peace officer, which is considered a second-degree felony.

When KSAT reached out to DPS for comment on April 24, the agency responded April 25, vowing DPS’ Criminal Investigations Division would “further” investigate Sanchez’s case.

Sanchez’s criminal trespassing charge was dismissed one day after his first arrest. Fox 7 Austin reported April 30 that Sanchez’s second-degree felony charge was also dropped.

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