Austin Makes More Diversitopian Progress: Rioter, Er, Shopper, Kicks Trampled Police Officer (Air Jordan Riots)

 


 
By Nicholas Stix

[Previously, at WEJB/NSU:

“Murders in Austin, TX: First One of the Year Involves a Mexican Victim: Esme Barrera, a Teaching Assistant and Avid Rock Fan”; and

“Esmeralda Barrera Slaying: Black Man Sought in Austin’s First 2012 Murder May be Serial Rapist (Killer?) Guilty of Two Other ‘Attacks’ on Women Same Night in Same Area.”]
 

Austin Police try to find person who intentionally kicked trampled officer
by Shelton Green / KVUE News
Bio | Email | Follow: @SheltonG_KVUE
kvue.com
Posted on December 23, 2011 at 8:19 PM
Updated Friday, December 23 at 10:22 PM

AUSTIN -- Police detectives are currently combing through surveillance video taken at Highland Mall in hopes of learning who is responsible for intentionally kicking an officer trampled during a chaotic crowd incident Thursday night.

Police were called out to both Barton Creek and Highland malls late Thursday to help control the hundreds who showed up in force with the hopes of buying a limited edition of reissued Air Jordan sneakers.

Others are questioning if the mayhem could have been prevented all together.

“Everybody was pushing. They just kept pushing. They just started spraying it in the air,” says Jalen Hall who says he got pepper spray in the face during an attempt to control the crowds at Barton Creek Mall.

“(The police) were saying, ‘Get back, get back,’ but no one was really listening because it was a big crowd,” said Jordan Andrews who spoke to KVUE at Barton Creek Mall Thursday night.

Other shoppers questioned why neither mall followed the lead of local stores during Black Friday where they staggered hours, offered tickets and had lottery systems to control potential chaos.

“I don't think we go through a Christmas season where we don't hear of a store somewhere where somebody gets trampled and unfortunately sometime results in deaths,” says Austin Police Assistant Chief Sean Mannix. “We simply don't have the resources to post up at every store and be able to predict what item during the holiday season is going to create these crowd situations because everyday some item is being posted as a midnight only sale.”