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Ahead of possible abortion rallies and protests, APD chief promises reforms in department's response from May 2020

Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon sat down with KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski to discuss how the department will — and won't — respond to future protests.

AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon says people who wish to participate in protests this weekend and in coming weeks as the Supreme Court likely rules on abortion rights should be confident in the lessons the department learned from the May 2020 protests.

Dozens of people were injured in the social justice protests following the death of George Floyd, resulting in 19 indictments against officers and more than $13 million in lawsuit settlements. 

RELATED: City of Austin approves fourth use-of-force settlement in 2020 protest

Chacon reiterated that the department no longer uses so-called bean bag rounds for crowd control — those weapons caused the most serious injuries in the May 2020 protests — and has put multiple other reforms in place to ensure protester safety in the future.

However, Chacon also asked that people planning to participate in future protests follow the direction of officers to help such events remain calm.

Chacon sat down with KVUE Senior Reporter Tony Plohetski to discuss how the department will — and won't — respond to future protests.

Watch the discussion here: 

Tony Plohetski on social media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

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