What to know about Victoria Lang’s controversial arrest

On August 26, 2025, two Wichita Falls police officers responded to the McDonald’s on Holliday St. in response to complaints over someone in the restroom. This is where officers Daniel Wilson and Douglas Gulley found MSU student Victoria Lang in the restroom. According to documents, they were there to officially bar Lang. Lang was then charged with resisting arrest, leading to her detainment.

Lang would be released the next day which led to her mother reaching out to Crystal Washington. Washington, who has been an advocate for over twenty years, started taking to social media to spread awareness over the situation, confused on why the city or police department haven’t said anything. Washington said that it was also important to note that Lang is on the spectrum. 

According to Washington, the police department wasn’t being transparent with the situation. From the time Lang was arrested, it took the City of Wichita Falls until the beginning of 2026 to host a press conference addressing the arrest. However, according to a city press release, an internal investigation was launched the day after, on August 27. 

Neither officer worked with the police department past 2025. However, many in the community demanded justice. The investigation went from the hands of WFPD to the Texas Rangers. The City of Wichita Falls created a ‘For the Record’ page on the city’s website. This is where officials released information pertaining to the Lang arrest.

Around a month after the press conference held by Police Chief Manuel Borrego, officials announced a review over WFPD’s policies specifically focused on mental health response. Additionally, city council would later approve 21CP Solutions, an outside public safety consulting firm, to perform a comprehensive review of the police department overall. In addition, during this time Police Chief Manuel Borrego announced his retirement after 44 years of serving the Wichita Falls community. 

Throughout this whole time, community members – including Washington – felt like no answers were being provided. Records requests were being put on hold, including requests filed by Dark Roast Report. In council meetings, people would share their stories and interactions with officers of the department. District 2 Councilman Robert Brooks seemed to be the only one calling for justice while everyone else on the dais advocated for due process.

On April 7, Officer Wilson’s disciplinary file at the direction of the Attorney General’s office. This file included the incident report from Lang’s arrest and the dispatch call. While some thought these files would provide more clarity to the situation, almost the entirety of the document was redacted, citing an on-going investigation. The file also revealed a pattern of disciplinary concerns as he was suspended at the beginning of 2025 following an active shooter training incident with another officer.

As the disciplinary file didn’t reveal much, Washington had been advocating for the release of the body cam footage. The goal was to clear confusion and allow the community to see the actions themself. It wasn’t until May 6, 2026, nine months after the initial arrest, that the body camera footage was released.