Texas Mayor Allegedly Falls Asleep During Officer’s Funeral

Get our free mobile app

Steve Adler, the mayor of Austin, Texas, is in hot water after pictures emerged this week reportedly showing him sleeping during a funeral for a police officer who was killed in an off-duty crash.

Senior Officer Anthony Martin was driving his police motorcycle home after his night shift when a driver struck him in Liberty Hill. Officer Martin's funeral was Monday, and an Austin police officer was the one who shared the picture on Twitter of Adler appearing to be asleep during the funeral service.

Austin news outlet KXAN received other pictures showing Mayor Adler with his head down and eyes closed during the service.

The images of Adler drew rebuke from many, including the widow of the officer who saw the pictures. According to KXAN.

She concluded, “My family needed to see him honored not disrespect. My husband, their father who doesn’t get to ever come home again, doesn’t get to go to SLEEP next to me EVER again, doesn’t get to RETIRE in four years from now, who doesn’t get to enjoy these golden years with me. I know he doesn’t mean anything to you but could you have at least pretended for just one hour.”

The photo in question first appeared on Austin police officer Justin Berry’s Twitter account and shows Mayor Steve Adler with his head slumped onto his chest, his eyes closed and hands folded on his lap. Next to him in the picture are city leaders, including Austin City Manager Spencer Cronk and City Council Member Mackenzie Kelly. In a Twitter thread Monday afternoon about the picture, Berry wrote, “You have time and time again shown nothing but contempt and utmost disrespect towards the men and women of the Austin Police Department but also our families.”

Mayor Adler released a statement earlier in the week apologizing to the Martin family and, according to KXAN, he reached out to the late officer's widow privately.