Texas park ranger asking people to comply with social distancing is pushed into lake; suspect arrested

A Texas park ranger cautioned a group about coronavirus social distancing - only to get pushed into a lake. A recording of the incident shows the Commons Ford Metropolitan Park ranger asking a group gathered on the docks of Lake Austin to “disperse” because people were not standing six feet apart. The group was unlawfully drinking and smoking in the public park, as well. Just after someone tells the ranger “I got you,” a man runs up and pushes the ranger into the water. The man fell in as well, but he managed to climb out first and flee. Brandon Hicks, 25, was identified by a number of witnesses as the man who pushed the ranger. Hicks was arrested and charged with attempted assault on a public servant – a state felony – and damaging the ranger’s emergency radio, according to court documents seen by FOX 7. Officials say the "intentional and reckless action" by Hicks could have caused the park ranger to hit his head as he fell, becoming unconscious in water deep enough for him to drown. Hicks was in jail Friday with bail set at $7,500. Austin police officer Justin Berry, who arrested Hicks, told the Statesman that people were quick to help the ranger and identify Hicks as the assailant. “The patrons of the park actually came to the aid of the park ranger,” Berry said. “Several people came up to the ranger and apologized for the guy’s behavior. That’s the Austin we know, and that’s the Austin we love.”

. The LEO assaulted was a Park Ranger.

FWIW, Park Rangers are not hacks, they are deputized law enforcement officers in whatever county they are working in and have full authority of enforcing the law. Each and every one of them are required to go thru their state's law enforcement academy before they can be hired............

FWIW, my dad was a career Detroit Police officer and retired as an Executive Lieutenant. Following retirement, he went on and became the Chief Ranger at a Metro-Park here in S.E. Michigan. Because he was out of law enforcement from the DPOA, he had to again go thru the Detroit Police Academy for recertification before the Metro Authority would hire him......The same academy he taught in back in the early 70's........LOL!

He said during his 13 years as a Chief ranger he had to deal with more problems than he did when he was a Detroit cop. Punks, drunks and drugs were his major concerns.......He was even assaulted by a jogger who was running on the park road rather than the jogging path. The jogger got the bad end of the deal and was ultimately arrested by the Oakland County Sheriff's department.

Given today's climate, many folks here would have excoriated him..............Oh well, this ain't the old FR we grew up with.......

And as a post script, would my dad have enforced the current draconian laws issued by my Michigan governor? No, absolutely not........maybe a slight verbal warning but that is it.

My comments to the morons above were in response to their vigilante actions they called for against the off duty LEO's without thought of complaining to their superiors........

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