Austin police respond to 'street racing incidents' late Saturday

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Police are looking into several "street racing incidents" that happened late Saturday night across Austin.

Witness videos show cars spinning and drifting around the intersection of Barton Springs and South Lamar with crowds of people standing around the cars.

Another video shows a crowd pushing around an APD vehicle. Fireworks were also set off near the intersection, including one firework appearing to be on the APD car.

The Austin Police Department tweeted it was "investigating a number of "street racing incidents" across Austin tonight."

"The department wants to reiterate this behavior is reckless & poses significant risks and dangers to the public," the tweet continued. "APD remains committed to enforcing the law and keeping our community safe."

In an update Sunday morning, APD officials said the street racing incident resulted in one officer getting injured and damage to "several police cars."

"APD is committed to stopping this conduct. Lawbreaking in this manner will result in enforcement and arrest. Our community's safety is the #1 priority for APD," officials added in a tweet.

Brian Hillsman said he was on a nearby patio when cars began revving up. Cars and trucks with flags began doing donuts in the intersection. He said 40-50 vehicles were lined up with people hanging out of windows.

"People were here with professional cameras. It was planned," he said.

He added that he was concerned about cars spinning out of control. The group of people at the bar patio went inside for a while for safety, he said. Hillsman said police did not appear for 30-40 minutes.

"But I don't think they could get here because traffic was backed up on every street from every direction," he said. "When the cops did finally show up, it took a while for them to have any sort of presence. It was unreal."

In a tweet early Sunday, the Austin Police Association blamed city policy makers for the incident, calling them "directly responsible for the overall safety of their citizens & visitors."

"Looks like [Austin policy makers] failed to make the right decisions & continue to defund, destroy, & demoralize public safety. Austin was one of the safest cities, NOT anymore."

KXAN reached out to APD for more information. This article will be updated when updates are received.