In a viral post on Instagram, 5-year-old Génesis Ester Gutiérrez Castellanos smiles brightly in front of iconic Austin street art. She’s wearing purple sneakers with pink laces. In big yellow lettering, the post reads: “URGENT: 5-YEAR-OLD US CITIZEN DISAPPEARED BY ICE.” Before dawn on Jan. 5, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested Génesis and […]
Tag: Austin Police Department
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The Day Austin ‘Lost Its Innocence’: HBO’s Newest Crime Doc Tackles Haunting Unsolved Murder
For tried and true Texans, HBO’s newest docuseries might hit close to home. “The Yogurt Shop Murders” digs into a 33-year-old cold case in Austin — a murder so haunting, the then-mayor proclaimed it the day Austin “lost (its) innocence.” In December 1991, when Austin was still a relatively small college town, not yet on […]
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Battle of the Fitness Bros: The ‘Liver King’ Was Arrested in Austin After Challenging Joe Rogan to a Fight
Social media influencer Brian Johnson, better known as the “Liver King,” was arrested at his hotel in Austin on Tuesday night after posting dozens of bizarre, rambling videos “picking a fight” with famous podcaster Joe Rogan, KXAN first reported. He is facing a misdemeanor charge of making a terrorist threat, according to records from the […]
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Austin Is on Trial for Alleged ‘Culture of Impunity’ in Police Department
In a civil trial beginning Monday, the city of Austin will respond to allegations of a “culture of impunity” in the city’s police department — after a lawsuit claimed misconduct has gone relatively unchecked. In 2021, Alex Gonzales Jr. was fatally shot in an “apparent road rage incident” with officers Gabriel Gutierrez and Luis Serrato, […]
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Will Cities Stop Using AI License Plate Readers? Some Are Reconsidering After Reports of ICE Searches.
Local lawmakers in Texas are responding to recent reports that some law enforcement agencies are using automated license plate reader technology to support Immigration and Customs Enforcement actions. Last week, The Barbed Wire delved into data first reported by 404 Media and found that at least five law enforcement agencies across Texas have conducted at […]
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An Austin Drag Brunch Received a Bomb Threat. Did Cops Do Enough to Help?
Editor’s note: This story mentions threats of violence against the LGBTQIA+ community. When the clock struck noon on Sunday, June 9, patrons were excitedly lined up to get into The Brewtorium in North Austin for its monthly Legendary Drag Brunch — a “fabulous day of fun” marketed online with glamorous photos of four drag queens […]