Grand jury indicts Austin police officer in 2022 fatal shooting of Raj Moonesinghe

Editor's note: This story was updated to show that a 911 caller reported that Rajan Moonesinghe was pointing a gun down the street of his home. A previous version of the story misstated what the caller reported.

This story has been updated to remove an incorrect statement issued by the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas regarding Austin police officer Daniel Sanchez's legal representation.

A Travis County grand jury has indicted the Austin police officer accused of shooting and killing Rajan Moonesinghe, a 33-year-old tech entrepreneur. Officer David Sanchez is charged with felony deadly conduct.

Sanchez, who worked at the Austin Police Department for almost three years, was placed on administrative leave after the shooting.

Moonesinghe was killed shortly after midnight on Nov. 15, 2022, when police responded to a 911 call reporting that a man was pointing a gun down the street.

As officers arrived on the scene, Moonesinghe fired two shots into his Bouldin Creek residence. In security footage given to the American-Statesman by family members, Moonesinghe seemed to believe that there was an intruder in his home.

Police video shows that Sanchez fired at Moonesinghe immediately after telling Moonesinghe to drop his gun. Sanchez shot Moonesinghe five times, striking him in the chest, back, abdomen and thighs.

In security footage, police can be seen handcuffing an injured and unresponsive Moonesinghe. He remained in handcuffs for six minutes.

Brad Heilman, Sanchez's defense attorney, issued a statement denouncing the grand jury's decision: "The fact that Officer Sanchez was indicted for Deadly Conduct further exemplifies (Travis County District Attorney) Jose Garza's continued attack on Austin Police Officers for doing exactly what they are trained to keep the citizens of Austin safe from harm. It is no coincidence that gun violence and attacks on police officers in Austin are at the current level."

In the wake of his death, Moonesinghe’s family members have publicly called for more police accountability.

Moonesinghe was of Sri Lankan descent and grew up in California. With his brother Johann Moonesinghe and other partners, he co-founded inKind, a hospitality app that invests in restaurants.

In a statement, interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson said the Police Department "will continue to support Officer Sanchez as this process moves forward."

The statement said Sanchez was "confronted with a subject who fired a rifle indiscriminately in a densely populated neighborhood."

In security footage, Moonesinghe appears to aim inside his house and pull the trigger twice.

During a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Garza, the district attorney, said he was "disappointed" by Henderson's statement.

"It is an inaccurate statement of the facts of this case," Garza said. "But what is more troubling is that the statement reflects an alarming disregard for the rule of law, for our criminal justice system, for the criminal justice system and for Rajan and his family. No one is above the law in Travis County."

Moonesinghe's mother, Ruth Moonesinghe, also spoke. She said that "there is more work to be done."

She asked the district attorney to present video evidence to another grand jury so that charges can be brought against Sanchez "that are consistent with the law and the facts."

In a statement, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas reiterated its commitment to supporting Sanchez, who is a member of the union.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Austin police officer indicted in fatal shooting of Raj Moonesinghe