AUSTIN, Texas — Austin District 1 City Council candidate Misael Ramos was released from the Travis County Jail Saturday after Texas Department of Public Safety officers arrested him on a Class B misdemeanor charge of participating in a riot connected to a recent protest over an immigration enforcement shooting.
DPS arrested Ramos around 8:50 a.m. Saturday while he walked his dog near Stafford Street and Manor Road, according to his campaign manager, Jeffrey Clemmons.
Ramos was booked into the Travis County Jail at 9:31 a.m. and later posted $1,000 bail at about 5 p.m., according to his attorney, Edmund “Skip” Davis.
Arrest follows Austin protest
Ramos attended a Sept. 20 protest over the shooting of Wilber Garces Perez, who an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shot in Austin.
DPS said investigators identified Ramos through various records, including social media posts, cellphone video and government records.
The agency said video showed Ramos taking construction barricades, sandbags and other items and attempting to obstruct traffic.
Authorities charged Ramos under Section 42.02 of the Texas Penal Code, which prohibits certain gatherings of seven or more people from depriving others of a legal right, including access to a roadway.
Ramos’ campaign said he had attended the protest before authorities arrested him Saturday.
Video shows arrest
Ramos’ neighbor, Denisse Vargas, filmed his arrest Saturday morning.
The video shows five officers wearing Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Rangers uniforms surrounding Ramos as he walked his dog and ordering him to stop.
Ramos said in the video that officers told him they had a warrant for his arrest but did not explain the reason for the warrant.
He later said he learned the reason for his arrest several hours after authorities booked him.
Supporters gather after release
Clemmons and other speakers addressed more than 100 supporters outside the Travis County Jail Saturday afternoon.
After his release, Ramos met with supporters who chanted his name.
Ramos said his arrest formed part of a broader pattern affecting people in Austin and expressed concern for families who remain separated from loved ones after arrests.
At least three other people also faced arrests for resisting arrest and rioting in connection with the protest, according to Paul Quinzi, an attorney with the Austin Lawyers Guild.
Additional protests against the shooting and detention of Garces Perez were scheduled across Austin Sunday.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.