A lawyer was caught on video pulling a gun on his ex-girlfriend at a Texas bar and allegedly fired three shots before customers pinned him down.
Gavin Rush, 41, was then released just two days later on a $40,000 bond despite facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon involving family violence.
Rush, who according to his LinkedIn page works on ‘sexual assault, embryo destruction and fertility center misconduct, complex commercial litigation, civil rights actions, FINRA arbitrations, and financial services disputes’ only had to post 10 percent of that, or $4,000.
The low bond was set despite Rush having been previously charged in 2017 with assault/family violence against a different woman, though the case was eventually dismissed.
The incident took place at around 11.30am on Saturday, November 26 at the Anderson Mill Pub in Austin.
Rush’s ex-girlfriend, who has not been identified, works at the bar and he went there to confront her, as she was apparently not speaking to him.
A lawyer, Gavin Rush (pictured top right) was caught on video pulling a gun on his ex-girlfriend at a Texas bar and allegedly fired three shots before customers pinned him down
Gavin Rush, 41, was then released just two days later on $40,000 bond despite facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon involving family violence
Rush, who according to his LinkedIn page works on ‘sexual assault, embryo destruction and fertility center misconduct, complex commercial litigation, civil rights actions, FINRA arbitrations, and financial services disputes’ only had to post 10 percent of that, or $4,000
The low bond was set despite Rush having been previously charged in 2017 with assault/family violence against a different woman, though the case was eventually dismissed
The woman and Rush had apparently broken up about a month and a half ago after three years of dating, according to Fox 7 Austin.
A surveillance video, posted to Twitter by a local councilmember named Mackenzie Kelly, shows him placing a leather satchel at the top of the bar.
Rush’s ex continued to refuse to speak to him when he arrived at the bar, according to a police affidavit.
He then pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her, a red dot from a laser sight pointing straight at her chest and firing, just missing her.
The affidavit says that Rush fired at least three times before being pinned, with one shot hitting a bar mirror behind where the ex-girlfriend was standing.
A surveillance video, posted to Twitter by a local councilmember named Mackenzie Kelly, shows him place a leather satchel at the top of the bar
Rush’s ex continued to refuse to speak to him when he arrived at the bar, according to a police affidavit. He then pulled out a pistol and pointed it at her, a red dot from a laser sight pointing straight at her chest and fired, just missing her
The affidavit says that Rush fired at least three times before being pinned, with one shot hitting a bar mirror behind where the ex-girlfriend was standing. Two customers went up to tackle Rush and kept him pinned to the ground until police could get there
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza was asked about the $40,000 bond set for Rush. He blamed a municipal judge
One of the customers who pinned Rush told KVUE that he even attempted to shoot himself in the head but failed when they got between him and the trigger.
Two customers went up to tackle Rush and kept him pinned to the ground until police could get there.
One of them told local news after: ‘We’re all just lucky. That could have gone down so differently than it did. Thank God.’
Rush’s profile page has been wiped from the law firm – Peiffer Wolf Carr Kane & Conway – where he works.
They said in a statement: ‘Gavin Rush no longer works at the firm. We do not tolerate hatred or violence of any kind. Our thoughts are with the victims who experienced a significant trauma that day.’
Rush’s ability to get out of prison so quickly has alarmed both local politicians and members of police.
Thomas Villareal, head of the Austin Police Association, said: ‘This particular case seems to be one where the courts have failed this victim.’
Councilmember Kelly, who posted the video to Twitter, added: ‘This attorney belongs behind bars, pending a lengthy jury of his peers.’
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza was asked about the $40,000 bond set for Rush. Garza, whose website says one of his missions is ‘treat all victims with dignity and respect,’ blamed a municipal judge.
He told CBS Austin: ‘I don’t know what information the magistrate had in front of them when they made that decision. Under state law and under local practice, the District Attorney’s Office and prosecutors generally are not present at the setting of bail. That is something that municipal judges do without input from the District Attorney’s Office.’
Garza – a Democrat and member of the far-left Democratic Socialists of America, according to Jacobin – said that they are not typically allowed to interfere with judges’ decisions and adds that the county is hoping to launch a program allowing prosecutors to be present at those hearings.
Rush was charged in 2017 with assault/family violence by impeding breath/circulation against a different woman in a different county but had the case dismissed after he completed anger management classes, according to KVUE.
The judge did grant Rush’s ex-girlfriend an emergency protection order against him when the bond was set.