The woman a former Austin police officer slammed to the ground during a 2024 arrest has filed a federal lawsuit against the officer and the City of Austin, alleging the incident amounted to “indefensible police brutality” and left her with a traumatic brain injury.
The lawsuit, filed Monday, comes weeks after Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis indefinitely suspended — effectively firing — Officer Joseph Spees over his conduct during the arrest of Natalie Gialenes, who was visiting Austin from out of state.
In her complaint, Gialenes alleges she was standing outside her hotel on East Cesar Chavez Street during the early morning hours of Dec. 7, 2024, when Spees arrested her for public intoxication, a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine. According to the suit, Gialenes voluntarily placed her hands behind her back and did not resist being handcuffed…