Abbott Uses Viral Fight Video To Decry Austin Homeless Rules

AUSTIN, TX — A viral video showing a downtown Austin fight between two men on Wednesday — one of them believed to be homeless — has been shared even further after the governor used it as part of his crackdown on people living in the streets.

Cell phone video of the altercation culminated in one of the men throwing an abandoned scooter through the back window of a car. The victim, Lawrence Black, told KXAN he was going to work when a man stepped in the intersection of 7th and Brazos streets, blocking traffic.

As seen in the video, Black exited his car to confront the man, who Black claims he's seen panhandling in the past. When the purportedly homeless man threw a punch, Black is seen slamming him to the ground. Once the dust settled and Black was returning to his car, the other man is seen retrieving a nearby scooter he used as projectile to crash it into the back window of the vehicle before fleeing on foot.

Details are sketchy as police have yet to comment on the matter. The Austin Police Department did say they have yet to locate the suspect, so it's unclear if he is homeless.

But even absent an official police report, Gov. Greg Abbott shared the video as visual aid in his objection to city council's recently relaxed rules as it relates to the homeless. Seeking to decriminalize the segment, Austin City Council members recently passed ordinances that allow people to sit or lie on streets so long as they're not obstructing pedestrians. Camping is allowed in certain areas, with the notable exception of city parks and recreational areas.

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Abbott has voiced his displeasure over Austin relaxed homeless rules, recently threatening state intervention to upend the local regulations that relax the rules for the homeless population. "Watch this video," Abbott urged his followers on Twitter. Is Austin’s policy of allowing the homeless to do whatever they want really helping the homeless? We know it’s bad for Austin."

As he implements a state crackdown aimed at Austin, Abbott has previously suggested homeless people have been emboldened to act out given the council's relaxed ordinances. Recently, he posted video of a car wreck that witnesses attributed to homeless people running into the streets the day after the new ordinances were passed.

Police later debunked the governor's claims, saying the wreck was caused by a driver who ran through a red light. There were no homeless people in the vicinity of the fender bender, police added. Despite the official police report, Abbott never took down the post containing his erroneous claims.