Garland Police Chief Jeff Bryan made the following statement after the indictment of GPD Officer Privitt. As Bryan explained in the address, the Dallas Police Department requested assistance from the Garland PD when rioting broke out in downtown Dallas in May 2020.
I’m astonished and disappointed to learn that Officer Privitt of the Garland Police Department was indicted by a Dallas County Grand Jury this week related to actions he took in assisting the Dallas Police Department during riots that occurred in Dallas almost two years ago.
On May 30, 2020, officers of the Garland Police Department, including Officer Privitt, responded to downtown Dallas at the urgent request of the Dallas Police Department, after earlier protests that afternoon had deteriorated into rioting during the later hours. As the Garland Police Chief, I authorized our officers to assist the Dallas Police Department in an effort to prevent the loss of life and property threatened by the riots.
Garland officers were met with aggressive displays of violence against police officers and were placed into a rapidly evolving, chaotic, and dangerous situation. During the course of that evening, officers faced numerous threats, including people brandishing firearms, lighting fires, destroying property, and throwing make-shift weapons at officers, including bricks, frozen water bottles, rocks, and bottles filled with urine.
In response, officers attempting to stop the rioting were often required to make split-second decisions under the most dangerous of circumstances to protect their lives and the lives and property of the citizens of Dallas, often placing themselves in harm’s way while doing so.
Officer Privitt is a highly decorated officer who has honorably served our community as a police officer for over 32 years with no disciplinary record. Given the dangerous circumstances faced by our officers on the night of the riots, I have not seen the evidence against Officer Privitt that rises to the level of the criminal conduct that has been alleged by the Grand Jury, which is Aggravated Assault, by threat, from a public servant.
I do have faith in the Criminal Justice System, and Officer Privitt is entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven otherwise. Officer Privitt will be placed on administrative duties until this matter is concluded.
The Garland Police Department will not comment further on this matter until the criminal proceedings are resolved.