Austin takeover results in injured cop as video shows chaos

Austin takeover results in injured cop as video shows ‘chaos’ on the streets

Street racers in Austin wreaked havoc on Saturday night – throwing firecrackers at police vehicles as fires erupted on the streets while desperate 911 calls were put on hold for nearly half an hour.

According to Austin Police Department officials, several police vehicles were damaged when takeover participants pushed back and threw firecrackers in what officials described as a “street racing incident.”

At least one police officer was injured and several people caught fire when a vehicle performed donuts during the downtown incident.

The event has now sparked outrage from citizens when local councilor Alison Alter told the Austin American-Statesman that she was put on hold for 28 minutes after stumbling upon the takeover.

The average wait time for an 911 call in Austin was two and a half minutes, according to October reports – due to staff shortages.

The street racers making donuts caused blazes on the streets, which in turn got people running when their clothes caught fire in Austin

The street racers making donuts caused blazes on the streets, which in turn got people running when their clothes caught fire in Austin

A man catches fire A spectator falls to the ground

In one clip, street takeover participants are seen ablaze after a vehicle made donuts and set bystanders on fire

In a statement released on their social media pages, police officials said the matter is still under investigation.

“Breaking the law in this way will result in execution and arrest. The safety of our community is APD’s top priority,” the department said.

A video of the takeover, posted to Twitter on Saturday night, shows people crowding into a squad car and banging on the hood of the car.

Sirens wail as the group with their guns and signs push the car back.

The Twitter that posted the video said the group “didn’t like it when police ended their takeover” and “decided to push back.”

The video has been viewed 5.2 million times on the social media app.

A huge crowd is seen gathering and pushing back the Austin Police Department cruiser

A huge crowd is seen gathering and pushing back the Austin Police Department cruiser

Onlookers desperately fled the burning streets of Austin over the weekend.  Cops say one officer was injured during the ordeal

Onlookers desperately fled the burning streets of Austin over the weekend. Cops say one officer was injured during the ordeal

Another clip from the takeover shows a closer look at the unruly crowd as they parade donuts in a pickup truck as the fire rages on the ground.

At one point, several people are set on fire and run to safety, tearing off their clothes, which are still burning.

Fireworks are set off in another video of the incident documenting the “chaos”.

Several cars parade donuts in the middle of the busy intersection while dozens of cars wait at the traffic light.

The takeover was one of “several” the Austin Police Department is currently investigating.

The Austin Police Association blamed local lawmakers for the “mess” and said they “didn’t make the right decisions and continued to debilitate, destroy and demoralize public safety.”

The cars burst into flames on the street The cars burst into flames on the street

In a statement released on their social media pages, police officials said the matter is still under investigation

The crowd uses their fists and signs to push the patrol vehicle back out of the way

The crowd uses their fists and signs to push the patrol vehicle back out of the way

The patrol car keeps being pushed back by the group fighting to end the takeover

The patrol car keeps being pushed back by the group fighting to end the takeover

Another video shows fireworks at the scene

Another video shows fireworks at the scene

Videos reached the Texas legislature, who commented on the incident and called for action to stop the dangerous activities and

State Rep. Jeff Leach, a Republican, said police in the area are “underrated, underpaid and under attack.”

“My apologies to the APD officers who have to put up with this crap just for city leaders to play with your contract,” Republican Rep. Chip Roy said.

“Imagine for a moment that the incidents happened at major events last night,” Councilor Mackenzie Kelly said on Sunday.

“The possibility of a catastrophic cascading outage due to a lack of support from our police department puts the city, its residents and visitors at risk,” Kelly continued.

reached out to the Austin Police Department for more information about the incident, the condition of the injured officer and the arrests, but has received no response at the time of publication.