By Sarah Calams
Police1
AUSTIN, Texas — An Austin Police Department (APD) officer was injured and several police cruisers were damaged during multiple street racing incidents Saturday night.
The street racing was first reported around 9 p.m. when a 911 caller reported that five vehicles, which were blocking an intersection, were racing, running lights, blocking traffic and shooting off fireworks, FOX7Austin.com reported. Officers responded to the scene and cleared the intersection within 20 minutes, but another street racing call came in about an hour later.
The vehicles were driving recklessly, blocking an intersection and driving in circles, but officers were able to disperse the crowd again. However, more 911 calls came in around 1 a.m., where officers encountered glass bottles being thrown at them while dispersing the crowd. A half-hour later, more 911 calls reported vehicles blocking an intersection, drivers doing donuts and someone starting a fire. The crowd was dispersed just before 2 a.m. by APD officers.
During the incidents, an officer sustained a non-life-threatening injury. The officer was treated at a hospital and later released, according to the report. However, several police cruisers were damaged throughout the night as rocks, bottles and fireworks were thrown at the vehicles. The crowd also pointed lasers at officers, police said.
“This behavior is reckless and poses significant risks and dangers to the public,” the department wrote on Twitter. “Lawbreaking in this manner will result in enforcement and arrest.”
The event was promoted as the Lone Star Car Show on Instagram, KVUE.com reported. Two people were arrested for evading arrest and an investigation remains ongoing, according to the department’s press release.
https://twitter.com/Austin_Police/status/1627362662286864384 https://twitter.com/MorrisReports/status/1627144632726421504