City denies video in NYE police scuffle

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A man who says APD brutally used excessive force on him says police won’t release the surveillance video of the incident.

Antonio Buehler says he received a letter Saturday from the Austin Law Department that was addressed to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott.  Buehler says in the letter the city’s legal department refuses to release the dash cam video, stating, "The department believes the release of the information represented by the enclosed records would interfere with these prosecutions. Thus, it is the department's position that the release of this information would interfere with the detection, investigation, or prosecution of crime, and the department seeks to withhold it section 552.108(a)(1)."

Buehler was arrested New Year's Eve off North Lamar after he stopped to take pictures of police stopping a woman suspected of DWI.

Buehler believes officers were being overly aggressive toward the woman, so he took photographs.

Officers said Buehler spit on them and was confrontational.

Buehler believes the city is withholding the video to protect Officers Oborski and Snider because they were upset he was taking pictures, which is legal to do.

"I don't think police are bad, but there are some bad apples," said Buehler.

Video of the arrest, however, already exists.

Another man passing by stopped, took video and then posted it to Youtube.

KXAN attempted to reach the city’s legal department and as of publishing time have not heard back from any representatives.

Corporal Scott Perry with the Austin Police Department told KXAN News “the case is still under investigation. We won’t release the dash cam until it runs its course through the legal system. ”

Buehler's request was denied as well as a requests by eight other individuals, including a worker at a local TV station.

"What is confusing to me is, why if it showed us doing anything, why withhold it?" Buehler questioned.

Buehler has filed a complaint, along with the woman facing a DWI charge, with the Austin Police Monitior and is calling on APD to launch an internal investigation .

The police monitor has not yet responded to the complaints.

He also thinks Officers Oborski and Snider should be placed on administrative leave until the investigation wraps up.