FOX 7 photographer faces 2 misdemeanors after felony charge was dropped
AUSTIN, Texas - A FOX 7 Austin photographer is facing two new misdemeanor charges. This comes after a Texas DPS detective dropped the felony charge on Tuesday, April 30.
The detective acknowledged the arrest warrant did not meet the criteria for a felony offense.
While covering the protest at the University of Texas at Austin on Wednesday, April 24, our photographer was pulled to the ground by Texas DPS. In the arrest documents, trooper Max Gouge claimed he detained our photographer because another trooper was hit with a camera.
On Monday, April 29, papers were drawn up for a felony "assault against a peace officer" charge. Our photographer surrendered himself at the jail. However, his attorney said no warrant was in the system because it was "inadequate."
FOX 7 Austin has learned our photographer will be charged with Class C misdemeanor assault and Class B impeding a public servant.
NEW AND BREAKING: After dropping the felony assault on a peace officer charge, @TxDPS is now charging the @fox7austin photographer with TWO misdemeanors. 🧵1/3https://t.co/VIjLFkPTH5
— SPJ President (@AshantiBlaize) May 1, 2024
One of the largest journalism organizations in the country is calling the misdemeanor charges "blatant retaliation and intimidation."
Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, the president of the Society of Professional Journalists, added, "DPS is trying to make an example out of this photographer to scare other journalists from covering these highly publicized protests on campuses across Texas."
On Wednesday, the Society of Professional Journalists announced they had assembled a coalition of 43 signatories calling on Texas DPS to drop the charges.
SPJ said in a statement:
"We, organizations that collectively represent and advocate on behalf of thousands of journalists, strongly urge the county attorney to decline prosecution of these charges and denounce authorities' handling and escalation of the underlying incident. In addition to preventing a journalist from reporting the news as it was happening, their actions exert a chilling effect on reporters covering protests and law enforcement's response to them, both during and beyond the current wave of campus demonstrations."
