AUSTIN, Texas — Editor's note: The above video was published on Jan. 5.
The Travis County District Attorney's Office filed a motion on Wednesday to dismiss the case against former University of Texas at Austin men's basketball coach Chris Beard.
Austin police arrested Beard in December. A police affidavit said that a woman to whom Beard is engaged told officers that he choked and bit her, among other forms of assault. Later in December, however, that woman, Randi Trew, released a statement saying that Beard may have been defending himself, that he never strangled her and that she never intended to have him arrested.
Beard had been facing a third-degree felony assault charge. UT fired Beard in early January.
On Wednesday, the DA's office announced, "After a careful and thorough review of the evidence, recent public statements, and considering Ms. Trew’s wishes, our office has determined that the felony offense cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt."
"Our office takes all domestic abuse cases seriously to ensure justice for the victims,” Travis County DA José Garza said in a statement. "In every case, we are obligated to evaluate the facts and evidence and do our best to reach an outcome that will keep the victim and our community safe."
Beard's attorney, Perry Minton, sent KVUE the following statement regarding the DA's decision to dismiss the case:
“Everyone knows that Coach Beard has maintained his absolute innocence since the moment he was arrested. Today, the district attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the case in the Interest of Justice, which is not common. Additionally, this district attorney has a well-earned reputation for being very tough regarding domestic violence cases. The fact that Mr. Garza’s review resulted in this determination says a lot. We are very pleased.”
The DA's office said that since 2021, it has indicted or formally charged more than 2,000 individuals on assault family violence charges and secured more than 1,000 criminal convictions for family violence charges. Last year, the office said it incarcerated more than 200 people as a result of family violence charges.