The Texas Civil Rights Project is suing the city of Austin, seeking access to an unredacted copy of the report from the outside investigation into the Nathaniel Sanders II shooting last May. The investigation and report, completed by KeyPoint Government Solutions, was released by the city last year in a heavily redacted form – among the blacked-out portions were the investigators’ conclusions regarding specific police actions that led up to the shooting. The city has thus far declined to release the entire report (including in response to open records requests, one by the Chronicle), which has pushed the TCRP to react, says TCRP Director Jim Harrington. “I know that it’s something bad, and they’re hiding,” he said. The city “purchased the company to do this, with tax money, on the pretense of it bringing transparency” to the process, said Harrington, but that is not what has happened. Harrington said he hopes to schedule a court hearing on the suit within a few weeks.
This article appears in April 16 • 2010.