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Racist Texas Bartender Found Guilty of Assault After Beating Black Woman

Austin Shuffield beat a Black woman while out on bail for a felony unlicensed weapon charge in March 2019.

Former Texas bartender Austin Shuffield was found guilty by a jury one count of obstruction and another count of assault for beating L'Daijohnique Lee in a parking lot in March 2019, but not guilty of another charge for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. The incident, in which Shuffield levied racial slurs against Lee while savagely beating her for blocking his car, attracted national attention and mass protests after police initially only charged Lee for breaking a rear window on the bartender’s truck. In a cellphone video captured by a nearby witness, Shuffield can be seen wielding a gun at his side during the altercation, though it wasn’t enough to sway the jury. As a part of a plea deal, Shuffield received a 120-day jail term for assault, a five-year prison sentence for obstruction, and probation for two years.