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Austin, Texas, Mayor Steve Adler issued another apology on Wednesday evening for appearing to sleep during a funeral for fallen Officer Anthony "Tony" Martin, who died in traffic crash last month while returning home his night shift.
"I regret that my actions distracted attention away from a somber moment," Adler, who is leaving office in a few months, tweeted. "May his memory be a blessing to his family, and to the city he served."
Officer Martin, who joined the Austin Police Department in 2006 after two decades of service in the Air Force, was laid to rest this week.
Photos of Mayor Adler with his head down and eyes closed surfaced soon after the funeral, prompting harsh criticism from law enforcement advocates and the officer's widow.
"This service wasn’t just a check list for us. It was the honor & respect of a man who has served his country and community his WHOLE life. My family needed to see him honored not [disrespected]," Amberlee Martin said in a statement Tuesday.
Officer Martin leaves behind his parents, wife, three children and one granddaughter.
"I have endless memories that I hold in my heart, but sadly that’s all I have now," Martin's daughter, Ashley, said at Monday's service. "My dad was always my hero, my protector, and my inspiration. He was my fearless leader. No matter how scary the path was, I knew I could follow him."
Mayor Steve Adler allegedly dozing at police officer Anthony Martin's funeral. (Sandy Ramirez)
Adler issued his first statement on the matter after the funeral photos initially surfaced.
Council Member Mackenzie Kelly honored Officer Martin at a city council meeting in a statement on Sept. 29, noting that "police officers risk their lives protecting our community" every day.
"It's a thankless job they choose to do day in and day out," she said.
POLICE ADVOCATE REJECTS ADLER'S APOLOGY FOR DOZING OFF AT OFFICER'S FUNERAL: ‘IT’S DISGUSTING'
Mayor Adler did not offer his own statement but held a moment of silence after Kelly spoke on Sept. 29.
"Thank you for bringing attention to this officer and his career," Adler said. "I had a chance to talk to his wife… offered to make sure that any support the city could offer would be significant."
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Adler's nearly eight years in office have been marked by clashes with Austin police. The mayor supported a budget in August 2020 that slashed the police department's budget by about a third, though the city council voted to return that money to the budget last year in accordance with a law passed by the Texas legislature.
The department is currently experiencing about 250 vacancies as morale has plummeted with just 20% of APD employees saying their department is well managed in a recent survey.
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