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Jordan Vonderhaar for the Texas Tribune
Armed protesters guard the memorial of Garrett Foster, who was shot and killed during a protest against police brutality in Austin on July 25, 2020.
By Jordan Vonderhaar
Throughout the summer, cities in Texas and around the country have seen protests and demonstrations against police brutality. On Saturday, protesters and law enforcement clashed in Austin, a week after protester Garrett Foster, who was openly carrying an AK-47 rifle — which is legal in Texas — was shot and killed by Daniel Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant, when he approached his car. Perry drove away, then called the police. Perry was released without being charged. Since then, questions have been raised about who was the aggressor.
Foster's death fueled tensions Saturday night in the downtown streets of the state capital as demonstrators again gathered and local and state police turned out in massive force. Tribune photographer Jordan Vonderhaar was there to document the protest. Here's what he saw.
State police in riot gear form a line along Congress Avenue and advance toward protesters to remove them from the street.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Armed protesters ride in the back of a pickup truck from a rally at the University of Texas to a memorial for Garrett Foster in downtown Austin, minutes after hearing of clashes between other protesters and police.
Jordan Vonderhaar
A man with a sniper rifle slung over his shoulder stands among protesters who have gathered at the Garrett Foster memorial in downtown Austin.
Jordan Vonderhaar
A protester confronts police in riot gear.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Mounted officers from the Austin Police Department clash with protesters on the corner of Fourth Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Mounted officers from the Austin Police Department clash with protesters on the corner of Fourth Street and Congress Avenue in downtown Austin.
Jordan Vonderhaar
State police were present large numbers.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Jordan Vonderhaar
A protester armed with a baseball bat kneels in the street with fist upraised as protesters clashed with police in downtown Austin on Aug. 1, 2020.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Members of the far-right Proud Boys militia stand on Congress Avenue across from the Garrett Foster memorial in downtown Austin.
Jordan Vonderhaar
A woman with her hands zip-tied waits to be loaded onto a bus after being arrested during protests against police brutality in downtown Austin.
Jordan Vonderhaar
Police load arrested protesters into a Travis County Sheriff Department bus.
Jordan Vonderhaar
A police officer sprays a protester with pepper spray as demonstrators clash with police in downtown Austin
Jordan Vonderhaar
A heavy police presence marked Saturday's protest in downtown Austin.
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Popular
Austin has been in the national spotlight for more than extreme growth—the last two years have brought a handful of violent crimes, missing persons cases and shootings.
Some of the most heartbreaking cases have yet to be solved. Here's a small update on some ongoing, high-profile cases in Austin.
Moriah Wilson | Suspect still on the run
Star biker Moriah Wilson was found dead in her East Austin home.
Professional cyclist Moriah “Mo” Wilson’s alleged killer, Kaitlin Armstrong, is still on the run and was last spotted leaving LaGuardia Airport in New York City on May 14—three days before the Austin Police Department obtained a warrant for her arrest.
Wilson was shot to death in her home on May 11 just hours after she went swimming with fellow cyclist Colin Strickland, who Armstrong had previously dated. Strickland said it was never a secret that he dated 25-year-old Wilson and had “no indication” Armstrong would react violently, as she had been dating other people as well.
While Wilson’s family said they don’t believe she was romantically involved with anyone, the case is being investigated as a crime of passion.
Investigators believe Armstrong might be using her sister’s name, Christine Armstrong, in New York State. A $5,000 reward has been issued for information leading to her capture.
Timothy Perez | Missing since March 2022
"He said, 'Dad, come get me, I'm lost,'" Robert Perez told Austonia. "I said, 'Pull, over,' but he just hung up, and we were never able to get a hold of him."
The Austin Police Department found Timothy’s car—cold and with an empty tank—around 15 miles from his brother’s home at 4:30 a.m. the same morningTimothy was last spotted again that morning when Round Rock Police responded to a welfare check called in by St. William Catholic Church. RRPD photographed him, said Timothy refused to identify himself and left without incident; Timothy wasn’t reported missing until a few days later.
According to EquuSearch, Timothy’s phone pinged briefly in Conroe on March 16 but hasn’t been located since. RRPD officials said they believe Timothy is voluntarily missing based on his interaction with officers.
But his parents think Timothy might've suffered a nervous breakdown and still drive from Conroe to Austin every few days to look for their son.
Due to the sighting at the church, APD closed its missing person case on April 8 but Round Rock Police still lists Timothy as missing.Jason Landry | Missing since December 2020
More than 31,000 acres were combed through to find missing Texas State student Jason Landry. (Caldwell County Sheriff's Office)
Texas State University student Jason Landry went missing on Dec. 13, 2020, after his car was found abandoned in Luling as he was driving home from nearby San Marcos to Missouri City, Texas, for winter break.
Landry’s car was found crashed with keys still in the ignition and all of his personal possessions, including his clothing, some with drops of blood, and phone, but no one in sight.
As conspiracies have swirled around the internet about what might've happened that night, Capt. Jeff Ferry, who is the lead investigator on the case, said "no doubt this is a tragedy… but it’s not a crime.”
More than a year later, friends and family of Landry are still searching for him and have erected billboards reminding locals of his disappearance and offering a $10,000 reward: one going southbound on I-35 and another along U.S. Hwy. 183 north of Luling.
The billboards were leased for 13 weeks in April but they may extend the rental—meanwhile, the case is in the hands of the Texas Attorney General Cold Case and Missing Persons unit. Anyone with information is asked to call (512) 936-0742.
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(SpaceX/Twitter)
Elon Musk’s spacecraft and rocket company SpaceX could be moving into Central Texas with an industrial facility in Bastrop County.
The Austin Business Journal first reported on SpaceX acquiring 170 acres east of Austin and job listings in the Austin area.
Bastrop County property records show that an entity tied to the Boring Company purchased the land near what it already owned along FM 1209. Then in early June, a 46.5-acre tract was transferred from the Boring Company’s entity to SpaceX.
In a June 6 filing with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, SpaceX gave notice for "Project Echo," a nearly 30-acre warehouse at 816 FM 1209. The project, just a 20-minute drive from Tesla's Giga Texas factory, was authorized to start construction early this month and has an estimated completion at the end of March 2023.
Meanwhile, the SpaceX jobs are for a facilities engineer and a senior application software engineer. The facilities engineer would be tasked with enabling SpaceX to achieve its long-term mission while the software engineer position would create systems to enable rapid build and reuse of the Starship—a reusable rocket the company is developing to carry cargo and people to space—as well as designing manufacturing software that will be used for Starlink, the company’s network of satellites providing internet access.
SpaceX has a site in South Texas along with a rocket testing facility an hour and a half drive north of Austin, in McGregor. Last year, job postings indicated SpaceX's plans for an Austin factory.
This brings an expansion of Musk’s companies in the region, with Tesla’s headquarters in southeast Travis County and the Boring Company based in Pflugerville.
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