Law enforcement officials and advocates lashed out at Austin Mayor Steve Adler after he fell asleep at the funeral of Austin police officer Anthony Tony Martin.
Different advocates suggested Austin’s mayor showed disrespect to the family of the deceased police officer through his careless actions.
Liberal Mayor Lands in Hot Water After Sleeping at Funeral of a Police Officer
Martin died in a car crash on September 23, when he was returning from his work after serving the night shift.
As his funeral was underway, the photo of Austin Mayor Steve Adler nodding off went viral.
The funeral service of Martin lasted for almost one hour, but the event was overshadowed by the disturbing actions of the mayor.
According to an official of the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, Justin Berry, Mayor Adler first defunded the police department of Austin; then, he showed disrespect to the fallen police officer of the city.
Berry further suggested that Adler cut off the paychecks of police officers of Austin, which had a direct impact on the families of law enforcement officials.
Furthermore, Berry reminded Adler that he repeatedly showed contempt to the families of police officers; so he should not have shown any further disrespect by sleeping at the funerals of the deceased police officers.
The Mayor of Austin sleeps at APD Officer Anthony “Tony” Martin’s funeral. From defunding the department to sleeping at a funeral, the disdain for those who risk their lives to protect and serve the people of Austin continues. https://t.co/pFgolTcWSs
— TMPA (@TMPALegislative) October 3, 2022
The head of the Austin Police Association, Thomas Villarreal, stated he has directly spoken to Adler for his actions at the funeral, adding he will discuss the matter in detail with the mayor later on.
Adler Apologies
Adler has a rocky relationship with Austin’s Police Department, particularly due to his efforts to defund the police in the city.
In the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder, Austin reduced its police budget by almost 33%. However, the city council of Austin had to increase the police budget once again by $133 million in 2021, after the Texas legislature passed a pro-police law.
Under Adler’s leadership, a significant number of police officers have left their jobs in Austin. Similarly, Adler’s anti-police policies ended up canceling many classes at Austin’s police academy.
However, the mayor apologized after he was captured sleeping at the funeral. Adler noted he has a deep respect for the family of the fallen police officer, adding he would be remembered as a hero of the police forces of Austin for a long time.
Likewise, Adler claimed being a father himself, he really felt the message of Martin’s daughters.
Alternate headline: Austin ‘defund police’ mayor is a POS trying to save face after he was caught sleeping at an officer’s funeral. https://t.co/ijWX2Pdozm
— Brian😎🎸 (@BrianGoodwin8) October 4, 2022
After Martin’s death, his daughter Ashley asserted her father was a fearless person who tried to inspire others even in difficult situations.
Before joining the police, Martin was also an air force veteran, as he served in the US military for nearly two decades. During his eight years of service as a cop, his relationship with Austin’s Department of Police remained turbulent.
The investigations into the car crash are still underway.
