The man is accused of pushed the Park Ranger from Austin, Texas in the water, while he tried to explain to the crowd the importance of implementing measures for social distancing. After the man was arrested, his lawyer said that he was ashamed of his act.
The video, which attracted attention after it was posted on the social network, shows the moment when a young man pushing the Ranger into the lake in the Park Commons Ford Ranch Metro Park.
As described in the Sheriff’s office Travis County, a young man found. His name is Brandon Hicks, he is 25 years old. He was charged with the attempted attack on a person in the public service. Texas is considered a serious crime.
According to the testimony given at arrest, Ranger Cassidy Stillwell spoke with the guys who «illegally drank and smoked» near lake Austin. From the documents it is unclear whether Hicks among these guys.
In the video you can hear Stillwell tells the crowd to disperse, because they do not observe a distance of 6 feet. Someone said the Ranger «will Do» and «I got you, kid.»
Suddenly the instructions of the Ranger interrupted, when the man pushed him into the water. The Ranger managed to grab the man’s hand and dragged him into the water with him. After that the young man in swimming trunks climbed out of the water and ran away.
Attorney Matt hull in his statement to CNN said he was waiting to tell the version of Hicks. «He was ashamed of his act, and he respects the law enforcement agencies, especially during this unprecedented time,» said hull.
The witness who shot the video admitted that the visitors to the Park were closer to each other than necessary. «Ranger just told us to disperse a little to keep distance and, honestly, he was very understanding,» said the witness, who asked not to be named.
The officer, who works on the case, said that the Ranger could hit his head while falling and lost consciousness 3 feet under water, where they could suffocate.
If Brandon Hicks is found guilty, he faces between 180 days to 2 years in prison. After the incident, the representative of the city’s parks said the Rangers asked to approach groups of people for only 2.
