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Progressive DA Reportedly Asked to Leave Slain Officer’s Funeral

"It was a slap in the face to every officer there seeing Garza at the funeral," an Austin police officer at the funeral who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital.

by Staff
November 20, 2023
Progressive DA Reportedly Asked to Leave Slain Officer’s Funeral

Austin SWAT Officer Jorge Pastore was killed Nov. 11 during a hostage incident. His funeral was held Friday.

Credit:

Austin PD

2 min to read



The district attorney for Austin, Texas, who has drawn intense criticism over his prosecution of police officers and his progressive sentencing reform agenda, sparked outrage from law enforcement after showing up Friday at the funeral of a slain police officer and eventually left early, according to some reports.

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Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza attended the funeral for Austin Police Officer and SWAT Team member Jorge Pastore, who was shot and killed Nov. 11 while responding to a call about a barricaded gunman holding three hostages, and multiple law enforcement sources .

"When he came walking in, I thought what gall this man has to show up at a funeral for an officer killed in the line of duty when all he's done since he's been in office is go after cops," funeral attendee Dennis Farris, president of the Austin Police Retired Officers Association, told Fox News Digital.

Garza campaigned for district attorney by promising to prosecute police officers, and he fulfilled that promise by indicting 19 officers involved in quelling a Black Lives Matter riot that the department previously exonerated, which his critics say was politically motivated.


"It was a slap in the face to every officer there seeing Garza at the funeral," an Austin police officer at the funeral who wished to remain anonymous told Fox News Digital. "Everyone I spoke to expressed anger, confusion or both given his relationship, or lack thereof, with the law enforcement community."

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