Caught on camera: Park manager slammed to ground by Texas park ranger

AUSTIN, Texas - The president and manager of Windy Point Park says a park officer slammed her to the ground after having a disagreement over park rules. It was all caught on camera.

"I think I blacked out a moment. I ended up cutting my hand. It was painful. My jaw was jammed here. I couldn't immediately talk because I hit here," Jan Barstow said, pointing to her jaw.

Barstow says she had stitches in her hand, a twisted wrist, bruises on different parts of her body, and eating was hard because of her jaw. 

"I never would've expected [the officer] to pull a stunt like that. It was very abusive, very aggressive," she said.

This all started with a disagreement over whether or not guests could use the Windy Point easement at Bob Wentz Park.

Barstow says guests can use the easement at the other park, but the officer said guests couldn't use it despite already paying the Bob Wentz Park fees. In cell phone video, she shows her discussion with the officer. The officer tells her to leave, and Barstow says she's planning to leave. 

Barstow said he then grabbed her wrist and shoved her against the car. Then, she was face down in the sand.

"I was shocked, up until then I thought we were equals discussing a different understanding of the easement," she said. "We can have a disagreement. I can deal with that, but there was not argumentation, threats, name-calling, nothing that would've called any aggressive behavior that he did."

A spokesperson for Travis County Parks confirms that an incident did happen at Bob Wentz Park, and they're investigating. They say charges are pending against Barstow, but they did not say what those charges are.

The Travis County Parks websites reads, "all trailered or motorized watercraft must be launched at designated boat ramps or boat launch areas only."

Barstow says she thinks the charges have to do with a longstanding feud between her family and the county over the park rules.

"This is just their way of trying to stop our park guests from being able to rightfully use an easement," she said.

Barstow says she plans to file a lawsuit, but it's still to be decided which entities it will be against.