Press Release: Austin Groups Sponsor Film Screening

***FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE***

What: Austin Groups Sponsor Film Screening to Increase Awareness of Police Militarization

When: Nov. 9th, 2015

Where: 6:30pm Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar 1120 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, Texas 78704

Contact: Justin Arman, Texans for Accountable Government Executive Director – C. 830-730-8065  – E. justin.arman@tagtexas.org

November 9th, 2015

Texans for Accountable Government

Austin Groups Sponsor Film Screening to Increase Awareness of Police Militarization

Austin, TX: This evening, Texans for Accountable Government (TAG), a multi-partisan Political Action Committee based in Central Texas, has partnered with America’s Future Foundation, to host a sold-out special screening plus Q&A panel of the SXSW award winning film, Peace Officer. This film follows a former law enforcement officer as he investigates the shooting death of his nephew, as well as the growing phenomenon of violent, no-knock SWAT raids and government immunity laws gone amok in the War on Drugs. Law enforcement agencies are routinely armed with military surplus weapons and equipment, and there are federal incentives to use what they are given. All of this has led to a 15,000% increase in SWAT team raids in the United States since the late 1970’s. [from: http://www.peaceofficerfilm.com/about/]

Immediately following the screening, there will be a Q&A panel with the filmmakers, Austin City Councilman and Chair of Public Safety Don Zimmerman, Texas ACLU Political Director Matt Simpson, and Lakeway Police Chief Todd Radford, who was the first Chief of Police in Texas to equip his officers with body cameras.

“We sent special invites to APD, Austin City Council, elected officials, think tanks, policy makers, activists, and community leaders, to this event. Film has the ability to bring us together, put our political differences aside, and share a common experience,” Justin Arman, Exec. Dir. of Texans for Accountable Government. Arman continues, “There isn’t a day without a victim of police brutality – whether accidental or not – and this problem has grown to a point where systemic reform is necessary. With an understanding of the history of law enforcement, and a genuine desire to examine our present condition, we can start asking the right questions and have the courage to arrive at conclusions that may contradict decades old policy.”

“With a video surfacing on Nov. 6th of Austin Police Officers beating and arresting alleged jaywalkers, this film screening could not be more timely.  We hope to foster conversation between Austin residents and law enforcement so that we can all work together for a safer community, instead of pitting police officers against peaceful Austinites.” Said TAG Steering Committee member, Carly Rose Jackson.

Peace Officer will be shown at 6:30 p.m. at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar.

https://drafthouse.com/austin/show/tag-aff-present-peace-officer

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