UT-Austin Police Blotter: Oct. 14-17, 2019

AUSTIN, TX — University of Texas at Austin campus police on Tuesday issued a list of recent crimes the department investigated in recent days, from an incident involving assault of an officer to a case of fraud.

Reported crimes around campus in recent days include:

• Oct. 26 at 2:25 p.m., Dell Seton Medical Center at 1500 Red River St.: A campus officer assigned to the hospital observed several security officers and an Austin police officer struggling with a patient. According to a police report, a campus officer who witnessed the kicking man held the suspect's legs while the man was placed into a restraint chair for safety. When the man began spitting, hospital security staff members placed a mask on the patient, police said. Upon further investigation, the campus officer learned the man allegedly had touched a nurse inappropriately. When security interceded, the man is said to have become physically aggressive while allegedly kicking an Austin Police Department officer in the groin while spitting on security staff. The man was transported to the Travis County Jail after being charged with assault against a public servant, according to the report.
• Oct. 17, 11:30 a.m.: A UT-Austin student answered the phone to hear a recording from a fraudulent caller. The recording stated that the “Social Security office” flagged her account for suspicious activities, prompting the student to press 1 to speak to a representative. When she did, police said, the caller asked for specific information about the student's accounts as well as her ID data. The call disconnected as the student grew suspicious, prompting her to contact law enforcement officials. Safety Tip: "We are used to verifying information when we call our banks and other accounts, but if someone calls you claiming to be an official it’s their responsibility to verify — not yours," police wrote. "Never provide information such as accounts, addresses, ID numbers, passwords, pins, or even your birthday to someone who calls you. In this case, the U.S. student listened to her instincts before she was victimized."
• Oct. 14, 10:38 p.m., 2000 Robert Dedman Drive: A student called the UT Parking and Transportation office to report a disturbance. Arriving officers spoke to a man and explained a parking ticket can be issued to those without a parking permit. But after the man left, police said, the man returned to allegedly make threatening remarks towards an employee. When campus officers returned, they placed the man in handcuffs as a precaution pending the outcome of their investigation, police said in their report. No charges have been filed, police noted.

Police urge members of the UT-Austin community to connect with the University of Texas Police Department via Twitter and Facebook, and remind people they can reach out to a campus District Representative with any non-emergency concerns or questions. Other social media resources include the Twitter feeds for UT Austin’s Office of Campus Safety and the Austin Police Department.

To view the official UT-Austin campus police crime log, click here.