AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin police officer indicted in connection with the May 2020 Black Lives Matter protests has proposed a plea bargain to the Travis County DA’s office.
The plea bargain, according to the filing, mirrors that of another officer who was charged with murder and deadly conduct in a 2019 officer-involved shooting but had his charges conditionally dismissed.
What we know:
Ofc. Chance Bretches is facing multiple charges, including aggravated assault, deadly conduct, and assault.
Bretches is one of 19 APD officers who were indicted for allegedly using excessive force and less-lethal munitions on protesters, injuring several and some critically. Seventeen officers have already had their indictments dismissed.
The filing cites a recent interview with Travis County DA Jose Garza about why he dismissed those cases as an impetus for the plea bargain.
Bretches and his attorney have proposed a plea bargain offer that would require him to “fulfill all necessary requirements to become a certified instructor in the Integrated Communication Assessment Tactics (ICAT) use-of-force model” in exchange for the charges being dropped.
He would also then “[commit] to providing ICAT model training to law enforcement cadets and/or officers as assigned or requested by the Austin Police Department or any other law enforcement agency”.
The filing says that this offer mirrors terms offered to APD officer Karl Krycia, who was indicted for murder and deadly conduct in the 2019 death of Dr. Mauris DeSilva. Krycia became an ICAT instructor and had his charges conditionally dismissed in November 2025.
The Source: Information in this report comes from court paperwork filed in Travis County and previous reporting.
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