An Austin police officer has been pulled off duty on an indefinite suspension after department leaders concluded he used excessive force in a downtown arrest outside the Austin Marriott Downtown. The case stems from a Dec. 7, 2024, takedown that investigators say ended with a woman’s head striking the pavement. Prosecutors reviewed the incident but declined to file criminal charges, leaving the fallout to the department’s internal process.
Internal Review Flags Report Omissions, Multiple Policy Violations
According to internal affairs investigators, the officer’s written arrest report contained omissions and distortions when compared with video and other evidence. The investigation sustained a string of policy violations, including failure to de-escalate, an unreasonable response to resistance, inaccurate or misleading report writing, dishonesty, and acts that brought discredit to the department.
The internal review recommended discipline, and an APD memorandum dated Dec. 3, 2025, states that the officer has been indefinitely suspended. The findings and disciplinary outcome were detailed by the Austin American-Statesman.
Video Captures Forceful Takedown Outside Downtown Hotel
Investigators reviewed both body-worn camera footage and hotel surveillance video. The department memo describes what it calls a "forceful takedown that caused the woman's head to hit the pavement" and notes that the officer’s body camera was activated before he approached her.
The review states that the woman was already handcuffed, appeared intoxicated and was barefoot at the scene. She was later transported to Dell Seton Medical Center and cited for a class C public intoxication offense. Prosecutors ultimately declined to pursue criminal charges in the case, and the department moved forward with administrative action, according to reporting by the Austin American-Statesman.
Past Complaints And Federal Filing Add To The Picture
City records show the officer had at least two earlier complaints alleging excessive force and mistreatment, including entries in the Office of Police Oversight complaint logs. Documents posted on the city’s website also include a federal civil complaint filed in March 2025 that names the officer, which provided additional context for the department’s latest review.
That history of prior complaints and court filings helped shape internal investigators’ assessment of the December 2024 incident, according to City of Austin records and the City of Austin lawsuit filing from March 2025.
Legal Fallout Stays Inside APD, For Now
Because prosecutors declined to file criminal charges, the case is proceeding through APD’s internal disciplinary system rather than in criminal court. The timing drops this incident into an already heated local debate over use-of-force policies and demands for stronger transparency and oversight, an issue highlighted in past local coverage and advocacy.
As one example of that wider backdrop, community groups have been cited in reporting as pushing for outside scrutiny of APD practices, and KUT has documented those pressures and calls for federal review.
The officer remains off the street while the department’s disciplinary process plays out and civil litigation continues in federal court. We will keep an eye on new public filings and any statements from APD leadership as the internal review and legal actions move forward.
