Austin Officer Who Violently Arrested Teacher Is Fired

AUSTIN, TX — The Austin police officer whose 2015 violent arrest of a local schoolteacher earned him a reprimand was fired from the force on Monday after being accused of using excessive force on another detainee.

The Austin American-Statesman reported that the firing of Bryan Richter centered on an incident during which he and other officers were serving an arrest warrant in his role with the department's organized crime division. During an arrest, Ricther placed his foot on a suspect's head.

The newspaper first reported the new allegations against Richter on Sunday.

Related story: Film Detailing Violent Arrest Of Austin Teacher Gets Oscar Nod

The former officer first came under scrutiny after his 2015 violent arrest of an African American schoolteacher in what began as a routine traffic stop. Within mere seconds of having pulled over Breaion King, Richter became seemingly enraged when she neglected his command of sitting in her car with the door closed while he ran her ID. He's seen on dashcam video violently extracting the woman from her car before slamming her onto the pavement.

Richter later claimed he was unsure if King might have a weapon, claiming she resisted by wrapping her hands around the steering wheel of her car, the newspaper reported.

The case galvanized advocates of police accountability once the video of the arrest emerged. The incident became the premise of a documentary titled "Traffic Stop" that was nominated for an Oscar on Tuesday.

>>> Read the full story at Austin American-Statesman

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