Hays County Judge Asks FBI to Investigate Why Police Didn’t Show Up at Biden Bus Incident

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra wants to know where the police were when dozens of vehicles, some of them belonging to members of the New Braunfels ‘Trump Train,’ surrounded a Biden-Harris bus as it traveled from San Antonio to San Marcos for a campaign rally at Texas State University on Friday.

Members of the Trump Train mistakenly believed vice presidential candidate Kamala Harris was aboard the campaign bus, which actually was ferrying Wendy Davis, who is running for U.S. House of Representatives Dist. 21, and others, on a “Battle for the Soul of the Nation Tour” through Central Texas.

The judge is asking the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to find out why Hays County Sheriff’s Office,  Hays County Constable’s Office and the San Marcos Police Department (SMPD) failed to respond to 911 calls about “dangerous highway harassment.”

The FBI acknowledges it is investigating the Biden Bus incident will not release any further information.

Becerra was especially critical of Hays County Sheriff Gary Cutler.

“Judge Becerra asks that the federal agency analyze why Sheriff Cutler failed to respond to the 911 call and then openly blamed the bus for the incident, which garnered national attention as perceived partisan criminality,” according to a statement issued today.

“The Sheriff’s victim-blaming is beneath the Office of the Sheriff and no one should need to call ahead for support for law enforcement when lives and safety are threatened,” Becerra said.

David Peterson, Constable Pct. 1, also was “visibly” absent, Becerra said, adding SMPD failed to intervene on account of traffic.

“It is further disappointing that the constable’s family was waiting at the sight and he claims not to have known about it,” Becerra said. “It is unfortunate that with more than 24-hours notice SMPD could not provide the support on a scheduled visit of a high-profile bus stop within Precinct 1 in Hays County.”

Cutler rebutted Becerra’s accusations in a statement, calling them irresponsible and without merit.

He said the sheriff’s office was not notified by the Biden campaign in advance that a stop was scheduled at Texas State University, and that Kyle and Buda deputies were working a vehicle accident with injuries and did not have time to respond to 911 calls from the bus.

“Furthermore, the (I-35) corridor from San Marcos to the Travis County line is handled by the San Marcos, Kyle and Buda police departments,” Cutler told Community Impact. “Our agency does not respond to incidents on (I-35) unless assistance is requested by the respective agency. Becerra saw an opportunity to be on center stage and decided to take another jab at law enforcement. Shame on him for not seeking facts.”

Democrat Lisa Prewitt, who is running for Hays County Commissioner Pct. 3 and also served on San Marcos City Council, told the Texas Tribune today that she alerted law enforcement about safety concerns on Thursday. She called San Marcos Director of Public Safety Chase Stapp on Friday to warn him the bus was 30 minutes away from the rally and was being followed by 50 vehicles flying Trump flags.

“We never did see any law enforcement from the county nor the city show up to assist the Biden bus,” she said.

On Saturday, New Braunfels City Manager Robert Camareno said New Braunfels Police Department (NBPD) also received several calls that members of the Trump Train were following the Biden/Harris campaign bus as it drove through the city — en route to Hays County — but did not find anything amiss when officers investigated.

“NBPD officers responded and did not observe any traffic violations,” he said in an email to MyCanyonLake.com. “Additionally, there were no traffic accidents reported in conjunction with this activity inside the New Braunfels city limits. NBPD officers continued to monitor the procession as it made its way north to the New Braunfels city limits and the next jurisdictions were notified about the activity that was headed in their direction.”

An anonymous source told the TexasTribune that NBPD provided an escort throughout its jurisdiction, with the group of Trump supporters following behind.

To learn more about SMPD’s investigation of the Biden Bus incident, click here.