According to a news release by the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, arrest warrants have been filed for two police officers accused of injuring protesters during the May 2020 protests. The officers allegedly fired less-lethal ammunition and struck protesters who were reportedly backing away and posing no threat to the officers or nearby civilians.
Contrary to some police and lawyer assertions, the affidavit argued that some of the injured protesters were complying with police orders during the demonstrations before they were wounded.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s office obtained the arrest warrants for the two officers — Senior Cpl. Ryan Mabry and recently fired Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams — on February 9, with both officers expected to turn themselves in.
Mabry and Williams face multiple charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and official oppression for their actions during the protest.
Williams, who was fired for another excessive-force accusation unrelated to the 2020 protests, is facing two counts of aggravated assaults and four counts of official oppression. Five of his charges are connected to his actions during the protest, while one is connected to the case that got him fired from the Dallas PD.
Williams’ attorney, Robert Rogers, said the affidavits put a “creative spin” on the events that occurred during the protests.
“This false narrative will be completely eviscerated through the presentation of facts and evidence in a court of law,” Rogers said in a written statement.
Mabry faces three felony counts of aggravated assault and three misdemeanor counts of official oppression. He is accused of injuring demonstrators with less-lethal ammunition in three separate cases.
Mabry’s lawyer, Toby Shook, said he believes that evidence presented during the trial will show that two of the people he was accused of injuring were agitators. He added that more evidence will be revealed than what is in the affidavit.
