Texas Man Arrested for Assaulting Student at Protest Walkout

A 45-year-old man from Kyle, Texas, was arrested Tuesday on assault charges after a physical altercation with a high school student during a walkout protest against federal immigration enforcement in Buda, officials said.

The incident occurred Monday afternoon near the intersection of RM 967 and FM 1626 in Buda, about 20 miles southwest of Austin. Students from nearby Johnson High School had organized the walkout to protest the Trump administration's aggressive operations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. According to Buda police, the demonstration was largely peaceful until a verbal argument erupted between a teenage girl on the sidewalk and an adult man inside a nearby vehicle.

The argument quickly escalated into a physical confrontation, police said. The man, identified as Chad Michael Watts, exited his vehicle and allegedly shoved the girl to the ground after an exchange of words. Video footage circulating online captured the sequence: Watts confronting the student, pushing her down, and then being swarmed by several other protesters who punched, kicked, and chased him back to his truck while throwing objects and shouting insults. Both Watts and the girl sustained...