VIDEO: Some Austin city leaders say excessive force was used against trans woman in downtown

AUSTIN, Texas - A few Austin city leaders said a viral video showing a trans woman being thrown to the ground by an Austin police officer is excessive force. 

But, Austin police said the use of force was within the law.

What we know:

According to Austin police, on March 2, around 2:30 a.m., officers saw a fight happening in a crowd of people at the intersection of 6th Street and Neches Street.

APD said officers saw a trans woman who was attempting to fight other pedestrians in the area. Officers blew their whistles to get the crowd to disperse and make their way through the crowd.

Everyone involved in the disturbance dispersed, APD said.

Shortly after, APD said officers saw the trans woman trying to fight with another person at the side of a nearby building. Officers then walked toward them and tried to stop the fight.

APD said the officers continued to blow their whistle and called out "Austin police." The trans woman began moving and pulling their arms away from the officers, who were attempting to detain them.

An officer grabbed the trans woman's arm and tried to turn them around by pulling them back. APD said as the officer pulled their arm, they went to the ground on their knees and then hit their face on the ground. 

The trans woman was then detained, evaluated by Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS), and arrested for Disorderly Conduct - Fighting. 

Local perspective:

The incident was caught on camera by witnesses in the area and shared on social media.

Several comments on the post call the arrest a form of police brutality.

You can hear witnesses saying "look how they treat trans people in Austin'' in the video.

The witness that recorded the incident says police swept the trans woman with their feet and slammed her down to the ground, causing her to bleed.

What they're saying:

Austin police said a supervisor reviewed the video and notified the Force Review Unit of the use of force, which is standard practice. 

The unit determined the use of force by the officer was within law and policy.

Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes, Council Member José Velásquez, and Council Member Mike Siegel, District 7, released a statement on the incident:

"We have seen an upsetting video shared online and dated March 2nd showing a trans woman being violently thrown to the pavement by an Austin police officer.

We have taken steps to ensure that this excessive use of force is investigated properly and that appropriate action is taken to ensure accountability.

At a time when our LGBTQIA+ community is under continuing attacks from the national and state governments, we must do all we can as a City to ensure that all members of our community are safe.

Thank you to all who have reached out and shared their concern about the safety and dignity of our trans community."