Austin Man Charged After Throwing Objects Onto Texas 71

Austin Police officers and SWAT responded to the location where a man barricaded himself under an on-ramp near the intersection of 1st street and West Ben White boulevard neat TX-71 on Thursday, May 7, 2026 in Austin.
Aaron E. Martinez/Austin American-Statesman

Austin police identified 45-year-old Travion Washington as the man involved in a SWAT response that shut down parts of Texas 71 in South Austin last week.

Police said Tuesday that Washington faces multiple charges, including one count of assault causing bodily injury, six counts of deadly conduct and four counts of criminal mischief.

Washington remains in the Travis County Jail and has not posted bond on any of the charges, according to Kristen Dark, senior public information officer for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.

Officers responded about 12:42 p.m. Thursday to a call near Ben White Boulevard. When officers arrived, victims told police that Washington had thrown large objects, including rocks or bricks, from an overpass onto the highway below.

Videos shared on social media appeared to show a man throwing objects at vehicles near the Congress Avenue exit on Ben White Boulevard. Police said they could not confirm exactly where the objects were thrown but said Washington was in an elevated position during the incident.

Austin police spokesperson Austin Zarling said during a Thursday evening news conference that "four vehicles were damaged and four people were identified as victims of deadly conduct."

Police said Washington barricaded himself in an elevated area between the frontage road and the highway, prompting officers to call in the SWAT team. Authorities detained him about 4:42 p.m.