Former Austin police officer accused of sexual assault won't serve prison time

Editor's note: This story includes references to rape. Information about resources for sexual assault survivors can be found at the end of this story.

Autin American-Statesman
Serena Lin, Austin American-Statesman
January 17, 2024

Former Austin police officer Walter Dodds, who was charged with sexual assault and burglary, has indicated in court documents that he will enter a plea of deferred adjudication for unlawful restraint. 

A deferred adjudication allows for a charge to be dismissed after the successful completion of a period of community supervision. On Jan. 16, Dodds filed a court document that waived a jury trial and indicated that he would agree to a plea of deferred adjudication. The conditions of Dodds' deferred adjudication were not public as of Wednesday, and the plea is not final until it is entered in court. A plea hearing has been set for Jan. 24.

Dodds was arrested in September 2020 after a woman accused him of breaking into her apartment and raping her just hours after he responded to a call at her residence. The woman is not identified in court documents.

Dodds arrived at the woman’s apartment on April 18, 2020, for a mental health call involving her boyfriend, according to his arrest affidavit. After he left her residence, Dodds called the woman multiple times from his city-issued phone. 

The woman claimed she woke up to Dodds raping her that night, according to court documents. 

Authorities said that Dodds called her two times after the incident and drove his patrol vehicle around her apartment. 

The woman reported the sexual assault and harassment to police in late April 2020. According to the arrest affidavit, when asked by an officer whether she said “no” to the sex, the woman said, “He’s a cop, what am I going to do, what am I going to say?” 

Dodds resigned from the Austin Police Department on Aug. 31, 2020. 

In August 2022, a grand jury indicted Dodds on one count of sexual assault, two counts of burglary and two counts of official oppression. 

The Travis County district attorney’s office and Dodds’ lawyer, Doug O'Connell, did not respond to requests for comment.

In March 2022, the woman sued Dodds and the city of Austin in federal court. The suit cited what it characterized as the department’s “tolerance for sexual misconduct amongst its own ranks” and “longstanding failure to investigate sexual violence.”

Jeff Edwards, who represents the woman in the civil case, said that the case will proceed against Dodds and the city of Austin after the plea has been entered. In a text message, Edwards said he was disappointed in the plea.

How to get help

If you have experienced sexual assault, contact the National Sexual Assault Hotline by calling 800-656-4673 or visiting online.rainn.org for emotional support, advice or crisis intervention.