Feb. 10 (UPI) — Two Dallas police officers accused of injuring protesters during a 2020 demonstration were charged Thursday with a number of counts, prosecutors announced.
The Dallas District Attorney’s Office filed multiple criminal charges against Senior Cpl. Ryan Mabry and former Senior Cpl. Melvin Williams for their roles in the protest that was sparked in the wake of the death of George Floyd.
Williams was fired by the department in January for allegedly repeatedly punching a man in July. He was under two separate use-of-force investigations at the time.
One of the charges announced Thursday by Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot relates to that incident.
The remainder of the charges stem from the evening of May 30, 2020. Williams and Mabry are charged “in connection to the shooting of an unknown individual with a 40-millimeter launcher” in downtown Dallas, according to court documents.
The two apparently fired into a crowd of protesters that was backing away and not posing a threat using the launcher, which is referred to as a “less-lethal force” weapon.
Mabry faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Williams faces two of the same counts. Both charges are first-degree felonies. The two men also face misdemeanor official oppression charges.
“It is important to remember that these are pre-indictment criminal charges, and the charges will have to proceed through the Grand Jury process,” the district attorney’s office said in a release.
Creuzot said in January his office was investigating the incident and appealed to any witnesses to come forward. At the time, investigators were unable to identify the two officers who were seen on video.
He reiterated Thursday the investigation remains open, saying the office continues to collect evidence of any other possible offenses committed during the protests.