Austin cops suspended less than a week after joking about rape on dashcam video


BY JOSHUA FECHTER

The Austin Police Department has apologized after a video posted to YouTube showed two of its officers making rape jokes while in a patrol car. The May 24 video, posted on Oct. 30 by Austin lawyer Drew Gibbs, who told Austin TV station KXAN he obtained the footage via an open records request. In the dashcam video, officers are heard saying that if they "ride out for a week, crime is gonna be on the run and (expletive) non-existent. (Expletive) would get real for the bad guys. The world would be at peace for a week." One officer then says, "Look at the girl over there," before blowing a whistle. The second officer is heard saying, "Go ahead and call the cops. They can't unrape you."
The Austin Police Department has briefly suspended two officers shown in a video posted to YouTube making rape jokes while in a patrol car.
Officers Mark Lyttle and Michael Castillo have been suspended for three and five days, respectively, the Austin American-Statesmanreported Wednesday. Each must participate in training with a community group that works with victims of sexual assault, according to the American-Statesman.
Following a disciplinary hearing Wednesday, Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the department has audited each contact the two officers have had with sexual assault victims and that the officers have been empathetic and professional, according to the American-Statesman.
However, Acevedo said the officers' "cavalier attitude" and "gallows humor" is "embarrassing, inappropriate and absolutely is not going to be tolerated by this department," he said.