The felony charge against Carlos Sanchez, the KTBC photographer who was arrested during a pro-Palestinian protest on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin Wednesday, has been dropped.
Instead, Sanchez has been charged with two new misdemeanor charges. Texas DPS said the arrest warrant did not meet the criteria for a felony offense.
Sanchez was pulled to the ground by Texas DPS during the protest. In the arrest documents, trooper Max Gouge claimed he detained Sanchez because another trooper was hit with a camera.
Sanchez originally faced Felony charges for “assault against a peace officer.” He’ll now be charged with Class C misdemeanor assault and Class B impeding a public servant.
The Society of Professional Journalists President Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins said “DPS is trying to make an example out of this photographer to scare other journalists from covering these highly publicized protests on campuses across Texas.”
At the time of the arrest, Texas DPS released a statement on the incident.
Multiple videos – many of which are readily available on social media – show the photojournalist among the protesters as law enforcement officers work to disperse the group. He is seen hitting a DPS Trooper in front of him with his camera before fellow Troopers pull him back and take him to the ground to arrest him.
As a law enforcement agency, upholding the laws and freedoms of the people of this state is our number one priority. The department believes strongly in a journalist’s right to cover events of the day in a safe way; however, that does not except a person from following the law or the rules that have been put in place for the safety of others. While the department understands the need to be on-site, it is never acceptable to interfere with official police duties and assaulting an officer of the law – no matter the degree – will never be tolerated.