Austin police seek men who assaulted a trans woman and her friends, and broke Good Samaritan's jaw
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Now, the family of the Good Samaritan has started raising money for the medical bills, while victims of the attack shared photos on social media, urging anyone with information to contact the police. Austin police are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime.
'We all belong in this community,' reads a statement from the Austin Police Department. 'APD remains unwavering in its commitment to fostering a secure and inclusive Austin community. Our ongoing efforts aim to ensure a community where every member feels safe, valued, and respected.'
The trans woman attacked told local news station KXAN about the moment leading up to the violence, telling the station that after one of her friends spoke with one of her friends before making transphobic remarks.
'His first response was to point at me and say, 'I don't agree with that lifestyle, it's gross' or something along those lines,' she said. 'Then she backed off from him and told me and the guy who stepped in about it. We both got pissed and went to talk to them and ask what their issue was. Then they (the three men) get really loud and violent, and then as you probably saw in the video, they attacked us.'
A Reddit user shared the story of what happened at the Barton Springs Free Area.
'The three men then started becoming aggressive towards the trans woman just for being trans, and generally escalating verbal attacks, accusing the other two girls of being trans, poking at them near their breasts,' the Reddit post reads. 'They then started shoving my friends violently.'
That's when another man tried to step in, according to the post, but the alleged assailants then turned on him and started beating him with a rock.
While the Reddit post doesn't include the names of anyone involved in the attack, a GoFundMe page set up by M. and P. Adkison confirms their son was brutally assaulted after coming to the women's aid.
'According to multiple witness accounts, a young transgender woman and her friends were being harassed and shoved by a group of men. Our son stepped in to defend them, which resulted in him being brutally assaulted by these same men,' the page reads.
'He ended up sustaining gashes to his head, a bleeding ear, a broken jaw, and a concussion. He now needs surgery for his broken jaw; but because he's a construction worker without health insurance, he's reluctant to get the care he needs. On top of that, he was told he'd have to miss 2–3 weeks of work—time he can't afford to lose.'
An Austin Police report confirms that a witness reported the assault.
'The witness stated that a bystander attempted to intervene and was assaulted by the suspect, resulting in the bystander falling to the ground. The suspect reportedly pushed the witness as well before fleeing the area,' the report states.
The page has already raised $52,000, more than doubling a $20,000 goal. The post includes a picture of the man and his son, the money will be used for medical costs and to cover time off work.
The Reddit post includes photos of alleged assailants, as well as contact information for Austin police and the local Crimestoppers hotline, (512) 472-TIPS.
This article originally appeared on Advocate: Austin police seek men who assaulted a trans woman and her friends, and broke Good Samaritan's jaw
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