In May 2020, Austin Police Officer Chance Bretches was deployed to help restore order during the violent riots that erupted in Austin following the death of George Floyd. What began as protests had devolved in many places into chaos, with officers facing rocks, frozen water bottles, golf balls, and other projectiles. More than 250 Austin police officers were assaulted during that period. On May 31, 2020, while assigned to a police line near Austin Police Headquarters, Officer Bretches responded to an individual throwing rocks at officers by deploying two less-lethal bean bag rounds—an approved tactic intended to stop violent agitators without using deadly force. At that same moment, a “street medic” unexpectedly moved in front of the intended target and was struck in the hand, suffering a serious hand injury.
Despite the fact that Officer Bretches acted consistently with his training and in response to an active assault on police, Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza charged him with felony assault. This case is one of a wave of prosecutions brought against Austin officers for actions taken during the 2020 riots. Although charges against many other officers were later dropped, the case against Bretches remains pending, and a conviction could carry a sentence of up to life in prison.
The evidence strongly suggests that the injury was caused by factors outside Officer Bretches’ control: the “street medic” unexpectedly stepped into the path of the round, and the bean bag munitions themselves did not perform as intended after having been stored for an extended period. Bretches’ decision to use less-lethal force against a rock-throwing suspect appears to have been objectively reasonable under the circumstances. The Austin Police Department has continued to support him, and he remains employed, in good standing, and cleared of administrative misconduct.
Chance Bretches is a veteran of the Austin Police Department, a husband, and the father of three young children. He is active in his church as a youth leader, and he previously received the APD Lifesaving Medal for rescuing the trapped occupant of a burning vehicle. He comes from a law enforcement family; his father is a longtime Fort Worth police officer.
This is exactly why LELDF’s mission matters. Officer Bretches used an approved less-lethal tool to defend fellow officers under riot conditions, yet he now faces the possibility of life in prison for doing his job. Your support helps ensure that officers like Chance Bretches have the resources to defend themselves against politically motivated prosecutions and to fight for the justice they deserve.
Stand with Chance Bretches. Help LELDF defend those who defend us.
