Austin police fire officer after viral Sixth Street punch video, disciplinary hearing held February 6

Officer indefinitely suspended following internal investigation

An Austin Police Department officer has been fired after an internal investigation into a viral bystander video that showed an officer punching a man outside a bar in the city’s East Sixth Street nightlife district.

The termination took the form of an “indefinite suspension,” a personnel action that functions as dismissal under Texas civil service law governing many municipal police departments. The decision followed a disciplinary hearing held on Feb. 6, and the action was taken by Police Chief Lisa Davis.

What the video showed and when the incident occurred

The incident occurred on Oct. 10 in the East Sixth Street area. The clip that circulated online is brief—roughly a dozen seconds—and shows several officers amid a dense crowd. In the video, one officer steps in and delivers a punch to a man’s face; the man falls as the officer turns away while other officers remain nearby.

The officer who was fired was identified as Andy Garcia.

Related litigation and parallel processes

After the video spread, a federal civil lawsuit was filed alleging excessive force connected to the same Oct. 10 encounter. The suit describes a chaotic scene in which officers were managing a crowd during an arrest and alleges that Garcia struck a bystander without warning, causing the person to fall and lose consciousness. The lawsuit seeks damages and raises claims that extend beyond an individual officer’s actions.

Separately, Austin’s police accountability system records that community complaints were submitted to the city’s Office of Police Oversight in October 2025 that referenced Garcia and alleged excessive force related to a Sixth Street incident. Those complaint entries reflect allegations and administrative intake categories rather than final findings.

What happens next in an indefinite suspension case

Indefinite suspensions in Austin are subject to appeal under the state’s civil service framework. Officers facing termination can challenge the action through the city’s Civil Service Commission or, in certain circumstances, through an independent hearing examiner process. Outcomes can include the discipline being upheld, modified, or overturned, depending on findings and the applicable standard of review.

• Incident date: Oct. 10 (East Sixth Street)
• Disciplinary hearing: Feb. 6
• Disciplinary outcome: indefinite suspension (termination)
• Parallel matters: federal civil litigation; community complaints logged with the city’s oversight office

The firing marks one of the most significant departmental discipline actions tied to a high-visibility viral use-of-force video in Austin’s downtown entertainment corridor in recent months.

City and department processes now move on separate tracks: employment discipline and any appeal, civil court litigation, and any additional reviews that may be triggered by oversight complaints.