Austin City Council holds special meeting to discuss protests and APD's response

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin City Council held a special called meeting on Thursday to discuss and debate the protests in the city and the way police handled them.

Two men were critically injured during last weekend's protests after being hit in the head by bean bag rounds fired by Austin police and a pregnant woman was struck in the stomach.

RELATED: 20-year-old in critical condition, 15-year-old seriously injured following protests in downtown Austin

Those incidents have led to an investigation and a discussion over the use of force by officers.

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley recently said that he's reviewing the department's tactics. He says the use of lethal rounds was in response to instigators who infiltrated protests to commit violence but admitted that they didn't always hit the right target.

Chief Manley says that while some incidents didn't go the way they wanted, he says officers performed admirably under extremely challenging circumstances.

RELATED: City Council calls for emergency hearings into police tactics after clashes with protestors

Austin Mayor Steve Adler spoke about the protests in his most recent "Got A Minute" segment and says that we have to hold those who did wrong accountable.

Mayor Adler says real change is uncomfortable but we have to lean into that discomfort to have lasting change.

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