Mistrial declared in murder trial of Austin officer Christopher Taylor in death of Michael Ramos

A Travis County jury has been unable to reach a verdict in the murder trial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor, who fatally shot Michael Ramos, a 42-year-old Black and Hispanic man, in April 2020. After the jury deliberated for more than 34 hours, the judge has declared a mistrial in a case that had instantly ignited community outcry in 2020 and had fueled the city’s social justice protests weeks later.

Prosecutors must now evaluate whether to take Taylor to trial again in coming months or attempt to otherwise resolve the case, including through a possible dismissal. Deadlocked juries that result in a mistrial are rare in criminal cases.

Defense attorneys said the jury was split 8-4 in favor of a not-guilty verdict.

On the third day of deliberations, Travis County state District Judge Dayna Blazey issued an “Allen charge,” which urges a hung jury to reach a verdict. Blazey reminded jurors that if they could not come to a consensus, she would have to declare a mistrial and the case would be tried again.

Though jury deliberations are secret, there were some indications of the content of their discussions. Jurors requested to hear portions of testimony when other officers on the scene explained why they didn’t shoot at Ramos’ vehicle.

Taylor is thought to be the first officer in the Austin Police Department’s history to be charged with murder for an on-duty shooting, which came amid a wave of indictments against officers by Travis County prosecutors on allegations of excessive force.

More: Austin leaders react to mistrial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor in 2020 shooting

Taylor still faces a second murder charge in connection with the 2019 death of Mauris DeSilva, who was experiencing a mental health crisis when he was shot and killed. Karl Krycia, who was present during the Ramos shooting, also has been charged with murder for shooting at DeSilva. Police said DeSilva moved toward officers with a knife. Trials in those cases are expected in early 2024.

Attorneys, activists respond to mistrial

Chris Harris, director of policy of the Austin Justice Coalition, said the outcome of the trial was a "miscarriage of justice."

“It betrays the response that people right on the scene had when they saw this happen live in front of them," he said. "It betrays the response of the broader community that showed out and protested in numbers never before seen in this city."

Harris said the "interests of justice demand that the district attorney retry the case."

The Travis County district attorney's office has not made any decision public yet. Defense attorney Ken Ervin said he and fellow attorney Doug O'Connell were committed to trying the case "as many times as it takes to get a not-guilty."

Taylor "asked us to convey the fact that he’s very, very sorry and traumatized at this event," O'Connell said after the mistrial was declared. "He understands that the Ramos family is grieving.

"But as we said during the course of this trial, while this may have been a tragedy, it's absolutely not murder," O'Connell added.

Taylor's attorneys brought up the death of officer Jorge Pastore, who was killed in a hostage standoff early Saturday, before jury deliberations in the Taylor case ended.

"These threats that (law enforcement) face are not hypothetical; they're real. And they have to make split-second judgments which could end in somebody living or dying," Ervin said.

In a statement, the Travis County district attorney's office said: “We are grateful for our community members who served in the jury for this case. We respect the jurors' decision and thank them for their service.”

The night Christopher Taylor fatally shot Michael Ramos

Taylor, who joined the force in 2014, shot and killed Ramos after he and fellow officers were called to a Southeast Austin apartment complex amid reports of drug use in the parking lot. A caller told 911 that Ramos had a gun, although police later determined he was not armed, and the 911 caller testified at trial that she hadn't seen a gun and was relaying information from other residents.

When officers arrived, Ramos did not obey their commands, and police used a "less-lethal” round on him. When Ramos got in a Toyota Prius and began driving, Taylor fired.

Witnesses captured the shooting on video, and Taylor’s use of lethal force immediately prompted questions. Six weeks later, after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, thousands of protesters poured into Austin streets, calling for police reform. Many local demonstrators cited both men’s deaths.

Previous coverage of Taylor's trial: Closing arguments in Austin police officer trial reiterate far-reaching impact

Arguments, testimony in murder trial against Taylor

At the heart of the case, prosecutors said Taylor’s use of deadly force was unreasonable, arguing that Ramos was only attempting to flee and highlighting that Taylor was the only officer at the scene who shot.

Taylor’s defense attorneys contended that Taylor opened fire because he feared for his life and the lives of fellow officers, providing a legal justification for using deadly force.

During the trial, jurors heard from policing experts, fellow officers with Taylor during the incident and other civilian witnesses.

The courtroom also was filled each day with Taylor supporters, including fellow police officers, and social justice activists who closely watched the proceedings.

Before the charges against Taylor, the last time an Austin police officer faced criminal charges in a shooting death was in 2013 when Charles “Trey” Kleinert was indicted on a manslaughter charge in the shooting death of Larry Jackson Jr. The case was later dismissed.

Since District Attorney José Garza took office in January 2021, prosecutors also have brought charges that did not involve a death against about two dozen more police officers. In most of those cases, officers are facing charges of aggravated assault after being accused of causing injuries to protesters during the 2020 social justice protests.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Mistrial declared in murder trial against Austin police officer