AUSTIN, Texas — The president of the Austin Police Association (APA) says the recent conviction and sentencing of a now-former Austin Police Department (APD) officer puts all law enforcement in a "no-win scenario."
Michael Bullock also claims the Travis County District Attorney's Office has declared war on police, and DA José Garza is more dedicated to his agenda than keeping the community safe.
Bullock declined an on-camera interview with KVUE following former officer Christopher Taylor's conviction for deadly conduct and instead directed us to a video he posted on social media. In the video, he made the above claims and also called on APD to change its policies to no longer respond to mental health calls – a direct response to Taylor's conviction in the 2019 death of Mauris DeSilva, who was suffering a mental health crisis at the time of the shooting.
"I believe the Austin Police Department must stop responding to mental health calls. We have never claimed to be mental health experts, yet we are continually scrutinized for our handling of these situations," Bullock said in the vide. "Now that we're left with the options of being stabbed or going to prison, Travis County and the District Attorney's Office should be the one incurring the risk."
Unexpectedly in agreement with the police union's president is the founder of the Austin Justice Coalition (AJC), Chas Moore. Bullock and Moore are often at odds on police-related issues – and while they agree officers shouldn't respond to mental health emergencies, it's for very different reasons.
The AJC said in a press release that Bullock's statement following Taylor's conviction ironically highlights that the current state of policing is fundamentally flawed. The organization said traditional policing isn't the universal solution to public safety, and trained professionals are better equipped to handle mental health emergencies and other social issues.
The AJC also said it's time to stop expecting officers to also act as mental health professionals, social workers and mediators. But it added that Taylor was not unfairly targeted in this case, and his conviction means Austin is ready for a new approach to public safety.
"Christopher Taylor’s conviction is a step toward the justice that Mauris DeSilva’s family and this city deserve. But Michael Bullock’s video inadvertently exposes the truth we’ve been advocating for: Police should stop showing up to situations they are not equipped to handle," Moore said. "Let’s take this moment to reimagine safety—not with protests against accountability, but with investments in systems of care that save lives, not take them."
Austin police chief Lisa Davis shared the following statement regarding Bullock's post:
"To fulfill our mission to serve and protect our community, the Austin Police Department will continue to respond to community calls for police service, including calls involving people experiencing behavior and mental health crises.
I understand the concerns expressed by the Austin Police Association. We must prevent harm to all Austin community members, including our responding officers. Moving forward, we will be working hard to develop a holistic response to persons experiencing a mental health crisis. As a City we will embrace evidence-based practices and develop a robust co-response model that provides officers with additional mental health resources to effectively respond to real-time crises.
I look forward to partnering with mental health stakeholders and city leadership to ensure that our officers remain healthy and confident in their ability to serve all community members."