A 25-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly shoving a park ranger into a lake in Austin, Texas, where the official was trying to tell a group of young people about the coronavirus lockdown rules.
Video of the incident shows ranger Cassidy Stillwell urging a crowd of college-age people to disperse on the dock at Commons Ford Ranch Metro Park, near Lake Austin, on April 30. The young people were “unlawfully drinking and smoking,” according to an arrest affidavit obtained by multiple outlets, including CNN.
Stillwell was in the middle of telling the group to keep “six feet of distance” between themselves and others when a man came up and shoved him into the water. Stillwell managed to grab the man and pull him in as well, the video shows.
The man, who was wearing a bathing suit, quickly scrambled out of the water and ran away. It’s unclear if he was a member of the group.
Brandon Hicks, 25, has been charged with attempted assault of a public servant in connection with the incident, according to the Travis County Sheriff’s Office. The offence is a state jail felony, and he faces a sentence of 180 days to two years if convicted.
The affidavit claims that Stillwell might have drowned if he’d been injured in the fall.
“Brandon’s intentional and reckless action could have caused the ranger to strike his head on the dock as he was falling, and render himself unconscious,” the affidavit said.
The witness who recorded the video said she was glad to see that someone was charged.
“The park ranger was actually being really sweet and understanding before,” the witness told KXAN.
The Austin Parks and Recreation Department said it was “saddened” by the incident.
“Our rangers continue to engage residents on the proper use of park facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic,” spokesperson Kimberly McNeeley said in the statement to ABC News. “We ask that the public treat rangers with the same respect they wish to be shown to themselves. Public support is essential for Austin to meet the challenges of this pandemic.”
Park staff have been told to approach groups in pairs from now on, CBS reports.
Hicks has been released on a $7,500 bond and is due back in court on June 19, according to his attorney, Mark Hull.
“He is embarrassed about his actions and has the utmost respect for law enforcement, particularly during these unprecedented times,” Hull told CNN.
Hicks has not yet entered a plea in court.
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