APD Officer Shot, Suspect Dies on scene

An Austin Police officer was shot in an exchange of gunfire during a disturbance near 6th Street and West Avenue Sunday morning.

Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo said the suspect opened fire on the officer during a struggle a parking lot. The officer returned fire, rendering the suspect deceased.

Acevedo said the entire incident was captured on video for further review.

A surveillance video allegedly caught the suspect breaking into cars in the 800 block of West Fifth Street. A security guard chased the suspect and called 911.

Working together, the security guard and officer knocked the suspect to the ground, the APD officer called for more back-up. The security guard did assist the officer with trying to subdue the suspect as well as alert him about the suspect’s gun.

“The suspect without any warning turned and took out a semiautomatic pistol and fired one shot at our officer,” says Acevedo.

The gunshot hit the officer in the lower right abdomen. “He immediately returned fire striking the suspect.” The suspect, a white man in his 30s, died at the scene.

Austin Police Association president Ken Casaday is at the hospital with the injured officer and says they are “very fortunate that things turned out the way they did.” KXAN reported.

The injured APD officer is accompanied by the president of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, APD Sgt. Todd Harris, who told “that the groups’ attorneys are standing by to assist the officer as APD carries out its protocol review of this morning’s shooting”.

Acevedo said in a press conference earlier this afternoon, the officer is stable condition and the bullet has been removed.

With APD protocol in effect, the officer has been placed on paid, administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. He has been with the Austin Police Department for nearly 10 years and his normal patrol is the downtown area.