Austin police are asking for the public's help identifying a man accused of physically assaulting a security officer at Huston-Tillotson University, an attack that left the guard with minor injuries after he tried to escort a trespasser off the historic East Austin campus.
The incident happened around 12:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 1, at the university's campus at 900 Chicon Street, according to the Austin Police Department. Officers say the man was found trespassing on the property, and when the security officer attempted to walk him off campus, the man physically assaulted him, as reported by KEYE. Security camera footage captured the suspect after the assault, according to APD.
APD's Aggravated Assault Unit put out its public request for help identifying the suspect on Tuesday, exactly a month after the confrontation occurred, according to the City of Austin. The suspect is described as a Black man who was last seen wearing a dark t-shirt, blue warm-up pants, dark slides, and green socks. Anyone with information is asked to call the Aggravated Assault Unit at 512-974-5245.
What Charges Could the Suspect Face
The case could carry more weight than an ordinary assault charge because of who was hurt. Under Texas Penal Code Section 22.01, basic assault causing bodily injury is generally a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to a year in county jail and a $4,000 fine, but assaults against security officers acting in their official capacity can trigger enhanced felony charges under state law, according to FindLaw.
The trespassing that preceded the assault carries its own potential penalty. Criminal trespass under Texas Penal Code Section 30.05 occurs when someone knowingly enters or remains on private property without consent after being told to leave, an offense typically charged as a Class B misdemeanor with up to 180 days in jail and a $2,000 fine, per the law firm of Saputo Toufexis. Proving that charge requires establishing that the man received oral, written, or posted notice to depart before the confrontation with the guard.
How to Report a Tip
Residents with information can also go through Capital Area Crime Stoppers, which processes anonymous tips for Travis County law enforcement agencies by phone or through its website, austincrimestoppers.org. The program may offer a reward of up to $1,000 for information that directly leads to an arrest. Tips can be called in at 512-472-8477.
A Rare Violent Incident at Austin's Oldest University
The assault stands out at an institution with a notably clean safety record. Founded in 1875, Huston-Tillotson University is Austin's oldest institution of higher education and the city's only Historically Black College or University, a distinction underscored during its 150th anniversary year, according to FOX 7 Austin. The 24-acre campus sits atop what's known as Bluebonnet Hill in Central East Austin, near Interstate 35 and downtown, per Wikipedia.
Federal Clery Act compliance records show the university reported zero aggravated assaults on campus between 2021 and 2023, averaging fewer than 10 total criminal offenses per year, most of them low-level property crimes such as vehicle thefts, according to Research.com. HTU maintains its own 24-hour campus safety department with patrols, emergency hotlines, and electronic dormitory access, but the private university does not hold a formal Memorandum of Understanding with APD for criminal investigations, according to Huston-Tillotson University's own campus safety materials — which is why a public request for help identifying a suspect falls to the department's Aggravated Assault Unit rather than campus staff.
A Campus and Neighborhood on the Rise
The assault also comes amid a period of unusually high visibility for both the university and its surrounding neighborhood. Last September, Huston-Tillotson received a $150 million donation from the Moody Foundation, the largest single financial contribution ever made to an HBCU in U.S. history, designated for campus infrastructure and academic endowment during the school's sesquicentennial. The East Austin neighborhood around campus has also seen fresh municipal investment, including a $5.18 million allocation announced in August for Seabrook Square II, a supportive housing complex named after former HTU president J.J. Seabrook that will serve 60 unhoused residents near the campus.
No arrest has been announced in the case as of Tuesday. Anyone who recognizes the suspect from the description or the surveillance footage is urged to contact APD's Aggravated Assault Unit or submit an anonymous tip through Capital Area Crime Stoppers.
