The Texas Senate, with the bare minimum number of votes, approved the nomination of a formerly indicted Austin police officer to a law enforcement watchdog agency on Wednesday, despite a Democratic effort to block his confirmation over misconduct allegations.
Justin Berry, a senior Austin Police Department officer who had been indicted on charges of aggravated assault during the racial justice protests in 2020, was confirmed Wednesday, 21-10, to serve a second term on the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, which sets standards for police training and conduct.
Senate Democrats, whose ranks had the potential to tank Berry’s nomination if they stayed united, had urged their colleagues to reject Berry on the floor Wednesday…