A Texas man was caught on camera pushing a park ranger into a lake while the official was telling a group of people to practice social distancing.
A shirtless man, identified by police as Brandon James Hicks, 25, was recorded running up to a park ranger in Austin’s Commons Ford Park last week and pushing him toward the water before both men fell into the lake. Video of the incident circulated on social media, which also showed the ranger can be heard asking people to keep 6 feet between them to prevent the spread of the coronavirus before Hicks approached.
austin texas everybody ? pic.twitter.com/MXTzvtexeN
— julia (@lost808s) May 1, 2020
When the police were called to respond, the ranger said he was attempting to disperse a crowd of people who were illegally drinking and smoking in the park.
“Brandon’s intentional and reckless action could have caused the Ranger to strike his head on the dock as he was falling, and render himself unconscious in at least 3 feet of water where he could have drowned to death,” the arrest affidavit said, according to an NBC affiliate in Texas.
Hicks was arrested and faces charges of attempted assault on a public servant. The person who recorded the incident said they were happy Hicks got in trouble.
“The park ranger was actually being really sweet and understanding before,” the person said.
