A Texas man is accused of attacking a teenage girl during a student demonstration against the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration, officials said Tuesday.
Chad Michael Watts, 45, of Kyle, was arrested and charged with two counts of assault causing bodily injury following an altercation with students taking part in a walkout protest in Buda, police said in a press release.
The Monday afternoon protest, organized by students from Moe and Gene Johnson High School, was described by Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra as a “peaceful student-led demonstration” and a “lawful exercise of the constitutional rights to free speech and peaceful assembly.”
However, the protest did not remain peaceful for long, according to Buda police. Officers dispatched to the intersection of RM 967 and FM 1626 around 3 p.m. encountered a heated verbal argument involving a teenage girl on the sidewalk and an adult man inside a vehicle.
The argument quickly escalated, turning into a “physical altercation involving multiple people,” officials said.
Both the man, later identified as Watts, and the unidentified teen were interviewed by detectives. Each reported minor injuries but declined medical evaluation, police said. No arrests were made at the time.
On Tuesday, Buda police said further investigation determined Watts “was the primary aggressor in the physical altercation,” leading to his arrest.
A video obtained by CBS Austin appears to show Watts confronting a student and pushing her to the ground. Several students were seen rushing to confront the man, throwing objects at him as he returned to his truck.
“No matter one’s political views, an adult bears a clear responsibility to exercise restraint, especially in the presence of children,” Judge Becerra said in a statement. “Violence or intimidation directed at a minor — particularly during a lawful, peaceful demonstration — has no place in a constitutional republic that depends on the rule of law rather than force.”
