A former Austin Police Department commander has been indicted on charges of sexual assault and official oppression stemming from allegations involving a civilian city employee while he oversaw the department’s training academy, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
A Travis County grand jury returned the two-count indictment against former Austin Police Commander Wade Lyons on May 5, charging him with sexual assault, a second-degree felony, and official oppression, a Class A misdemeanor, prosecutors announced Thursday.
Prosecutors said the incidents occurred between December 2022 and October 2023, when Lyons led the Austin Police Department Training Academy. Prosecutors allege Lyons engaged in a “coercive sexual relationship” with the alleged victim, who worked as a civilian employee for the city.
Lyons’ criminal defense attorneys, Sam Bassett and Perry Minton, denied the allegations in a statement released Thursday and said their client “is not guilty of any crime.” The lawyers alleged that Lyons was threatened and sexually harassed by the woman in the case and noted that Lyons filed civil lawsuits against the woman’s husband and the city of Austin in 2024 alleging Lyons himself was sexually harassed by the woman.
“Wade Lyons did not sexually assault [the woman] in any way,” Bassett and Minton wrote in the statement. The American-Statesman generally does not name sexual assault victims regardless of case status.
The attorneys also questioned the timing of the indictment, noting it was handed down in 2026 despite the alleged conduct dating back several years.
The indictment marks the latest high-profile criminal case involving an Austin police official brought by Travis County District Attorney José Garza, who opponents have accused of overreach in his office’s prosecution of law enforcement officials.
Garza has presented cases against law enforcement as part of an effort to hold accountable powerful actors accused of misconduct.
“Holding law enforcement accountable when they break the law is critical to maintaining community trust and also to the safety of our community,” Garza said in a news release announcing the indictment.
Under Texas law, a second-degree felony sexual assault conviction is punishable by two to 20 years in prison. Misdemeanor official oppression charges generally involve a public servant intentionally subjecting another person to mistreatment or unlawful conduct while acting under color of office.
Last year, Garza secured a guilty plea from an Austin officer for official oppression. The officer was required to permanently surrender his Texas peace officer license.
Lyons is scheduled to make his first court appearance June 9, according to the district attorney’s office. Court documents related to the indictment are expected to be released at that time.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Travis County District Attorney José Garza secured plea deals with two law enforcement officers for official oppression. It was only one officer.