Texas Border Business
By Roberto Hugo González
Note: The video of the incident is included in the story below.
McAllen Police officers were breaking up a disturbance, and it seems that the crowd got out of control. The female officer was attempting to detain or arrest the male in a white t-shirt. He slipped out of her grasp, punched her in the face, and fled the scene. The incident happened on August 24, 2025, at about 2:06 a.m.
The video of a McAllen police officer being punched in the face while struggling with a suspect on 17th Street spread quickly through social media, igniting anger across the city and pushing Mayor Javier Villalobos to call a rare special meeting of the City Commission. By the close of the August 29 session, the message was clear: McAllen will no longer tolerate negligence in its downtown entertainment district.
“They’re demanding that we do something,” Villalobos said firmly at the meeting’s outset. “This is more than a request. We need to take action.” The mayor, who has faced mounting pressure from residents alarmed by downtown crime, declared that protecting both the community and McAllen’s reputation requires decisive steps. “If everyone does what they’re supposed to do, we can maintain the safety we’re known for,” he said. “We were once the third-safest city in the country and the safest city in Texas. What we’re seeing now is unacceptable.”
The Commission’s vote following executive session authorized City Attorney Austin Stevenson and City Manager Isaac Tawil to pursue civil enforcement actions against operators who fail to comply with city rules. “It’s my recommendation that the board authorize the city attorney and the city manager to proceed… up to and including the filing of civil enforcement actions in district court,” Stevenson announced. The motion carried without opposition.
Watch the video of the incident below:
The meeting revealed just how divided stakeholders are about the future of the 17th Street corridor. “Downtown McAllen is dying,” said Angie Almaguer, general manager of The Dive on 495, who blamed underage drinking, over-serving, and neglected properties for eroding the area’s safety and appeal. She called for a roundtable that would bring together law enforcement, bar owners, and city leaders.
Others echoed her concerns while urging tougher scrutiny of bar operators. “There are a lot of establishment owners that shouldn’t be there owning a bar,” said bar operator Jason Zuñiga. “They ruined the street.”
But residents like Lauren. Haskins warned against going too far with restrictions. “Violence isn’t just an age issue,” he said, cautioning that a blanket 21-and-over policy could weaken downtown’s vibrancy and shift drinking to less walkable areas, raising the risk of drunk driving.
Bar owners also challenged the narrative that all establishments are failing. “We ID every single person… we should not be serving minors,” said Alyssa Cantu, owner of The Gremlin. “The only way that’s going to happen is if there are more boots on the ground.”
James Alexander, who runs The Flying Walrus, pressed the Commission to focus on solutions rather than blame. “TABC had their budgets cut big time. You’re going to have to pick up the slack,” he said, before warning against excluding young adults. “Eighteen-year-olds can fight and die in Iraq. Eighteen-year-olds walk into that booth and they vote for you, Mr. Mayor. For you to tell me that an 18-year-old is incapable of taking care of himself… it’s insulting.”
Still, the night belonged to a mayor determined to restore order. Villalobos reminded residents that safety requires collective effort from operators, property owners, and the City itself. “We told the community we’d take action,” he said after the Commission’s unanimous vote. “Our downtown district is going to be safe.”
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