Second suit filed against police over violent jaywalking arrest

One of the men who were violently arrested for allegedly jaywalking downtown in a 2015 incident caught on camera has sued the Austin Police Department, accusing officers of using excessive force and targeting him because he is black. The federal lawsuit, the sec

to stem from the case, was announced Thursday at a news conference on the steps of City Hall. It also alleges the Police Department tried to whitewash the incident by clearing the officers involved.

“Like any job, if I was to do that to someone I serve, I would definitely be fired,” said 25-year-old Matthew Wallace, who was one of three people forcefully arrested in the early morning hours of Nov. 6, 2015. “They’ve been exactly the opposite; they’ve been exon- erated for what they’ve done.”

City of Austin spokesman David Green said the city hasn’t yet been served with this new lawsuit, which comes a year after Travis County prosecutors declined to press charges against Wallace for allegedly resisting arrest.

Officers arrested Wallace, Jeremy King and Lourdes Glen for allegedly crossing East Sixth Street at Red River Street against a “Do Not Walk” sign.

Video of the incident shows six officers arresting King and Wallace while Glen yells at the officers to stop. As three officers take Wallace to the ground and place him in handcuffs, they can be seen punching him, placing him in a