Texas ranger shoved into lake after instructing patrons to social distance

"Disperse yourselves," Stillwell says in the video. "You're not engaging in that six feet of distance with each other."

By ZACHARY KEYSER
Lake Austin, Texas (photo credit: FLICKR)
Lake Austin, Texas
(photo credit: FLICKR)
A Texas park ranger was shoved into Lake Austin after instructing a group of lakeside patrons to practice social distancing in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
The officer, Cassidy Zukeran Stillwell, approached the group after he noticed some of its members unlawfully smoking weed and drinking in the public park.
In the incident, caught on video, the officer instructs the crowd to "disperse" themselves, instructing them to adhere to the guidelines set by the United States Center for Disease Control meant to stymie the viral spread.
"Disperse yourselves," Stillwell says in the video. "You're not engaging in that six feet of distance with each other."
Following the tense interaction between the officer and the patrons, the ranger was promptly pushed into the lake by Brandon James Hicks, 25, who was arrested on suspicion of assault on a public servant as well as damaging city property (the ranger's emergency radio).
"I got you man," Hicks says in the video. "I got you."
Shortly after, Hicks physically shoves the ranger into the shallow end of the lake. Stillwell grabbed Hicks as he began to fall into the water, bringing Hicks in with him after he slips and falls in.
"Brandon’s intentional and reckless action could have caused the Ranger to strike his head on the dock as he was falling, and render himself unconscious in at least 3 feet of water where he could have drowned to death," police officials said, according to NBC News.
Texas pushed ahead on Friday with a phased relaxation of restrictions that US states put in place weeks ago to curb the coronavirus pandemic, as Georgia took another step toward a full restart by allowing all businesses to reopen.
With White House guidelines for reopening having expired on Thursday, half of all US states were forging ahead with a patchwork of strategies to allow businesses, from restaurants and retailers to construction and manufacturing, to emerge from a month of dormancy.
In Texas, one of the most populous US states, all retail stores, restaurants, movie theaters and malls could resume activity on Friday while limiting capacity to 25% of their listed occupancy, on orders of Governor Greg Abbott.
Reuters contributed to this report.


Related Tags
texas