Man fatally shot by officer in Northeast Austin had BB gun, police say

Claire Osborn, Austin American-Statesman
Updated ·3 min read

The man whom an Austin police officer shot and killed in an apartment complex parking lot Tuesday was holding a BB gun, officials said Wednesday.

Interim Austin Police Chief Robin Henderson said at a press conference Tuesday that officers weren't sure whether the man had a rifle or a BB gun. Asked by the American-Statesman for clarification on the type of weapon, the department confirmed in an email Wednesday that the man had a BB gun.

He was pointing the weapon at officers in the parking lot of a Northeast Austin apartment complex Tuesday afternoon, Henderson said. She added that the man, whose name had not been released as of Wednesday afternoon, yelled at the officers that he wanted police to shoot him.

He died at the scene after police tried to provide first aid to him at the Bridges at Harris Ridge apartments at 1501 Howard Lane. Officers were wearing body cameras during the incident, and that video will be released within 10 days, Henderson said.

Austin police are seen near an apartment complex in Northeast Austin where an officer fatally shot a man who had pointed a gun at police, according to the Austin Police Department. Officials said it turned out to be a BB gun.
Austin police are seen near an apartment complex in Northeast Austin where an officer fatally shot a man who had pointed a gun at police, according to the Austin Police Department. Officials said it turned out to be a BB gun.

The officer who shot the man has worked for the Austin Police Department for 4½ years and has been placed on administrative leave, in keeping with department protocol, Henderson said.

At 1:18 p.m., a caller reported to 911 dispatchers that a man was firing a rifle in the apartment complex's parking lot, Henderson said. The first officer arrived at 1:25 p.m., and a second arrived a short time afterward.

As two officers drove through the parking lot, one said that a man standing in the lot pointed a gun at them as they drove past, Henderson said.

Several residents were walking in the parking lot at the time, Henderson said.

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The officers got out of their patrol cars at 1:27 p.m. and took cover behind them as the man continued pointing his gun at them, Henderson said.

After the man yelled that he wanted officers to shoot him, the officers identified themselves as police and told him to drop his weapon, Henderson said. A police helicopter was paged to assist officers at 1:29 p.m., but an officer at the scene announced at the same time that shots had been fired and the "suspect was down," Henderson said.

Austin police went to the apartment complex Tuesday after reports that a man was firing a rifle in the parking lot, according to officials.
Austin police went to the apartment complex Tuesday after reports that a man was firing a rifle in the parking lot, according to officials.

She declined to say how many shots were fired.

The officers started giving first aid to the man at 1:30 p.m., and EMS was called, Henderson said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:48 p.m.

There will be two investigations into the shooting: a criminal investigation involving the Police Department and the Travis County district attorney's office and an administrative review conducted by the department's internal affairs unit.

Officers started giving first aid to the man at 1:30 p.m., and EMS was called, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:48 p.m.
Officers started giving first aid to the man at 1:30 p.m., and EMS was called, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:48 p.m.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 512-974-8640 or Austin Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. More information will be released as the investigation continues, Henderson said.

The apartment complex where the shooting happened is bordered by single-family homes. In an unrelated incident, a 14-year-old girl was shot and killed at the same complex in June, police have said.

Staff writer Chase Rogers contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Man fatally shot by officer in Northeast Austin had BB gun, police say