(CNN) – A man accused of shoving a park ranger in Austin, Texas, into the water, while the official explained to a crowd the need for social estrangement, said his actions embarrassed him, his attorney said.
A video That caught the eye after it was posted on social media includes the time a young man pushes the ranger into a lake in Ford Ford Ranch Metro Park this Thursday afternoon.
Brandon Hicks, 25, faces one count of attempted assault on a public servant, a felony in the state jail, the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said.
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According to an arrest affidavit, Ranger Cassidy Stillwell was speaking to a crowd of people, who were “illegally drinking and smoking” on a dock near Lake Austin. It is not clear from the affidavit whether Hicks was part of that group mentioned in the affidavit.
In the midst of the cross talk on the video, Stillwell is heard telling the crowd at the dock to “disperse” in the nearby grass area because they were not maintaining a physical distance of six feet (about two meters). Some respond with “We will” and “Sure, man.”
The ranger’s instructions are interrupted when the man pushes him into the shallow, murky waters. The ranger grabs the man’s arm and pulls him in, the video shows. The man, dressed in a bathing suit, comes out of the water and runs away.
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Attorney Mark Hull told CNN in a statement Monday that he hopes to tell the side of the Hicks story.
“He is embarrassed by his actions and has the highest respect for the law, particularly during these unprecedented times,” said Hull.
An eyewitness who recorded the video said park visitors were closer to each other than they should have been.
“(The ranger) was simply telling us to separate to keep our distance and, frankly, he was super-reasonable and understanding,” said the witness, who did not want to be identified.
The official who filed the affidavit said the ranger could have hit his head on the dock while falling, “and become unconscious in at least 1 meter of water where he could have drowned.”
Kimberly McNeeley, Austin’s director of parks and recreation, said public support is essential for employees to meet the challenges of the pandemic.
“We ask that the public treat rangers with the same respect that they want them to show themselves,” he said in a statement.
Hull says his client has a bond of $ 7,500 and his next court date is June 19. He said it was too early in the case to determine how Hicks will be declared. A person convicted of a crime in state prison faces a sentence of 180 days to two years.
CNN contacted the Travis County District Attorney Monday, but did not receive an immediate response.
As a result of the incident, rangers were told to approach groups in teams of two, said city parks communications and engagement manager John Nixon.
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