DALLAS — A Dallas police officer pleaded guilty this week to a misdemeanor assault charge for firing “less lethal” ammunition and wounding a protestor who lost an eye during the 2020 protests, court documents show.
Sr. Cpl. Ryan Mabry, must give up his license with the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, the state agency that certifies police officers, as part of the plea agreement, court records show.
Mabry is at least the second Dallas SWAT officer to plead guilty to charges in connection with protests after a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd in 2020. Former Dallas SWAT officer Melvin Williams pleaded guilty to a deadly conduct charge in August and was sentenced to three years deferred adjudication probation and required to give up his TCOLE license, court documents show.
A Garland officer, Joe Privitt, also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault charge earlier this month, according to court records.
Mabry’s plea deal means all known criminal cases against officers accused of use of force during the 2020 protests are closed.
Mabry was originally indicted in May of 2022 on eight felony charges – six counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and two counts of deadly conduct, according to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. He also faced three misdemeanor counts of official oppression.
As part of Mabry’s plea deal, an aggravated assault charge was reduced to a misdemeanor assault charge, which is punishable by up to a year in jail, court records show. Prosecutors dismissed the other cases against Mabry, court records show.
Aggravated assault by a public servant is punishable by up to life in prison.
Mabry pleaded guilty in the case involving Brandon Saenz, who said he was hit by a sponge round in his left eye and had to have it surgically removed as he protested near Dallas City Hall in 2020.
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