Park ranger pushed into lake after asking crowd to social distance
Video has captured the moment a Texas park ranger was pushed into shallow water while trying to enforce social-distancing rules.
In the video which was released on Snapchat, the ranger can be heard asking a group of people at Lake Austin to keep six feet (1.8 metres) apart to help stop the spread of coronavirus.
“Disperse yourselves,” the ranger says, motioning to the group.
One person in the background says “will do”, while another yells, “I got you man”. Seconds later a man is seen running up to the ranger and pushing him from behind.
The ranger grabs the man to try and balance himself and the pair fall into the shallow water together.
The suspect then climbs out of the water and runs off, according to NBC. That man is reportedly 25-year-old Brandon James Hicks.
The US news outlet reported an affidavit about Hicks’s arrest matches the actions filmed at the lake on Thursday (local time).
Police responded to a call about 4.54pm at Commons Ford Park. Ranger Cassidy Zukeran Stillwell reported he had been attempting to disperse a crowd of people who were unlawfully smoking and drinking in the park when he was assaulted.
Hicks was arrested on suspicion of assault on a public servant and damaging the ranger's emergency radio.
The police report says Hicks’ actions could have resulted in much worse than a broken radio.
“Brandon’s intentional and reckless action could have caused the Ranger to strike his head on the dock as he was falling, and render himself unconscious in at least 3 feet of water where he could have drowned to death,” the police report said.
The person who filmed the incident with their mobile phone told NBC they were glad Hicks was charged for his alleged actions.
“The park ranger was actually being really sweet and understanding before,” they said.
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