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The woman at the center of a civil rights investigation and federal lawsuit against two Austin Police Department officers was missing for over a year, according to her attorney and family.
The case and lawsuit were triggered by a video capturing Simone Griffith, 28, being repeatedly punched by an APD officer at an Austin strip mall in 2021.
Records show Griffith’s family attempted to make an official missing persons report last month. More than a week went by before APD entered her into a statewide database and launched an effort to find her. APD said they didn’t know about the report earlier because the call was originally entered in the system incorrectly.
The department said in May it changed its policy to require missing adult reports to be entered into its system as an “urgent” priority. The service request for Griffith was entered into the queue by a 3-1-1 Ambassador as a “standard” priority instead of an “urgent” priority request, according to APD and 3-1-1 officials.
The video still shows the October 2021 incident between Griffith and APD. (KXAN viewer photo)
The officers named in the federal lawsuit were responding to a trespass call after Griffith was spotted sleeping on the ground outside a business in October 2021, according to court records. The officers said they repeatedly told Griffith to get up, and when she refused, they attempted to handcuff her.
The video shows one of the officers punch Griffith in the face multiple times while trying to place her in handcuffs.
Griffith is profoundly mentally ill, according to her attorney and family. APD told KXAN in December 2021 the officers did not request the assistance of the city’s Homeless Outreach Street Team or its Crisis Intervention Team during the incident.
Before this video was published, Griffith’s family lost contact with her and said they did not know she was living on the streets in Austin. Michelle Smith, Griffith’s mother, said the media coverage of the incident helped her find her daughter.
Griffith and Smith first reunited over a Zoom call with the help of her attorney in March 2022. But Smith and Griffith’s attorney Rebecca Webber said they both lost contact with Griffith following the call.
Smith and Webber said for a year they searched for Griffith on their own. Then, on June 21, 2023, Griffith’s mom called 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 to file a missing person’s report, according to APD and call records.
“We just want her home,” Smith told KXAN, saying she wished she had reached out to authorities earlier. “I want her to know that she is wanted and that she is loved.”
www.kxan.com
The case and lawsuit were triggered by a video capturing Simone Griffith, 28, being repeatedly punched by an APD officer at an Austin strip mall in 2021.
Records show Griffith’s family attempted to make an official missing persons report last month. More than a week went by before APD entered her into a statewide database and launched an effort to find her. APD said they didn’t know about the report earlier because the call was originally entered in the system incorrectly.
The department said in May it changed its policy to require missing adult reports to be entered into its system as an “urgent” priority. The service request for Griffith was entered into the queue by a 3-1-1 Ambassador as a “standard” priority instead of an “urgent” priority request, according to APD and 3-1-1 officials.
Bystander video triggers an investigation
The officers named in the federal lawsuit were responding to a trespass call after Griffith was spotted sleeping on the ground outside a business in October 2021, according to court records. The officers said they repeatedly told Griffith to get up, and when she refused, they attempted to handcuff her.
The video shows one of the officers punch Griffith in the face multiple times while trying to place her in handcuffs.
Griffith is profoundly mentally ill, according to her attorney and family. APD told KXAN in December 2021 the officers did not request the assistance of the city’s Homeless Outreach Street Team or its Crisis Intervention Team during the incident.
Before this video was published, Griffith’s family lost contact with her and said they did not know she was living on the streets in Austin. Michelle Smith, Griffith’s mother, said the media coverage of the incident helped her find her daughter.
Griffith and Smith first reunited over a Zoom call with the help of her attorney in March 2022. But Smith and Griffith’s attorney Rebecca Webber said they both lost contact with Griffith following the call.
Smith and Webber said for a year they searched for Griffith on their own. Then, on June 21, 2023, Griffith’s mom called 3-1-1 and 9-1-1 to file a missing person’s report, according to APD and call records.
“We just want her home,” Smith told KXAN, saying she wished she had reached out to authorities earlier. “I want her to know that she is wanted and that she is loved.”
Woman at center of APD civil rights investigation, federal lawsuit was missing for over a year
The woman at the center of a civil rights investigation and federal lawsuit against two Austin Police Department officers was missing for over a year, according to her attorney and family.
www.kxan.com
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