This browser does not support the Video element.
Woman sues former APD officer and City of Austin
A woman who was seriously injured after being thrown to the ground by an Austin police officer in 2024 is suing him and the city. The woman had a traumatic brain injury.
AUSTIN, Texas - A woman who was seriously injured after being thrown to the ground by an Austin police officer in 2024 is suing him and the city. The woman had a traumatic brain injury.
That officer has also been indefinitely suspended by the department.
Woman sues APD officer and City of Austin
What they're saying:
On Dec. 7, 2024, Natalie Gialenes was outside her hotel, the Marriott on Cesar Chavez.
According to the lawsuit, she was arrested for public intoxication and handcuffed. As she was walking, her ID fell out of her pocket, and as she tried to pick it up, Officer Joseph Spees threw her to the ground. Her head hit the ground.
Her attorney, Jeff Edwards, says she will have cognitive issues for the rest of her life.
"She was 5'6", 128 pounds. I could knock her over with my pinky finger. This police officer engaged in a violent takedown and then as he was walking her to her car, slammed her head in there and further hurt her. It's despicable conduct," Edwards said.
Natalie Gialenes
In the officer's written report, he says it was a "controlled takedown."
"The officer then misled and omitted key facts in what we contend is a purposeful goal of obfuscating justice, of hiding the truth," Edwards said.
The lawsuit also goes through other instances of excessive force from the police department.
"The chief of the police has said this officer should not be an officer, so I do have to pay Chief Davis a compliment in that in this instant, she's done part of her job, but the harder part is explaining the supervisors, the police union, everybody, this is not going to continue," Edwards said.
The other side:
In a disciplinary memo from December 2025, Chief Lisa Davis says the way Spees reacted "does not reflect an acceptable response from an 11-year veteran APD officer."
He was indefinitely suspended.
Tyler Latham, vice president of the Austin Police Association, explained part of that process last month.
"An officer, if they are given a suspension of greater than 15 days, has to accept it as an agreed-upon suspension. He was offered a 20-day suspension, but when you have to agree to it, that means you waive your right to arbitration. Officer Spees didn't want to waive his right to arbitration," Latham said. "The association, and I'm confident that when the facts are laid out before a third party and independent person, they'll be able to see that his use of force was justified, that he did try to deescalate, that there were no violations of policy, beyond maybe some issues with some report writing, which Officer Spees has acknowledged that there could be better report writing."
This browser does not support the Video element.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Man sues APD officer who punched him on 6th Street
An Austin man has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and the officer he says punched him in the head unprovoked on Sixth Street in October.
Latham says better report writing could've been handled through training or minor discipline.
"The association stands by him and for his right to arbitration, and we'll see where the arbitrator takes it," Latham said.
The City of Austin sent the following response:
"The City has not yet been served with this lawsuit, but will review it and respond appropriately."
What's next:
Arbitration is still in the planning phase.
The police union hasn't reviewed the lawsuit yet, but that doesn't change the arbitration process for his disciplinary case.
FOX 7 has requested the body camera footage for this case.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen