AUSTIN, Texas — Austin Police Oversight (APO) Director Gail McCant addressed the fatal police shooting of 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II with tears running down her face before formally launching an updated Know Your Rights initiative.
McCant opened her remarks by addressing the shooting before turning to the initiative.
“I would be remiss if I did not share my deepest condolences to the family of Anthoneil Williams II,” McCant said, adding that watching body-worn camera footage of the incident was “deeply painful.”
“My thoughts and my prayers remain with the family and all those who are grieving,” she said. “Today we’re announcing the relaunch of Know Your Rights website, and this initiative is more important today than ever.”
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The updated site offers scenario-based guides for common police encounters, downloadable quick-reference guides, printable wallet cards, a glossary of terms and a searchable directory of community resources. Materials are available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Mandarin, Korean, French and Hindi.
McCant said the goal was to make the information usable in the moment, rather than burying it in legal jargon.
“When people understand their rights clearly, not buried in legal jargon, not scattered across a dozen different websites, they’re able to advocate for themselves and their families with a level of confidence,” she said. “That’s not just good policy, that’s good basic fairness.”
APO said the material was developed through community focus groups and in coordination with the Austin Police Department, the City’s Law Department, the Equity Office and the City’s communications team. McCant said the office next plans to build a community education curriculum to accompany the website, though that program remains in early development.
City Council Member José Velásquez joined McCant at the event and said Austin is now among a small number of U.S. cities to run a police-oversight-led Know Your Rights campaign.
“When people know their rights, they’re better equipped to protect themselves, advocate for others, and engage with confidence that makes our community stronger,” Velásquez said.
Public Information and Marketing Program Manager Sara Peralta said staffing, not a specific incident, drove the timing. The original materials, she said, were produced “on a shoestring budget in 2019” and had not been revised since.
“There wasn’t any particular incident,” Peralta said, adding that the office now has “a fully funded community engagement team” that allowed it to rebuild the materials with direct community input.