By Mark D. Wilson
Austin American-Statesman
AUSTIN, Texas — Two Austin police officers are on administrative duty after a gunbattle that ended in the death of a man they say opened fire on them early Thursday at a Southwest Austin apartment complex.
Police say the incident began about 10:30 p.m. Wednesday when police received reports of a suspicious person looking into vehicles at the Sedona Springs apartments at 4201 Monterey Oaks Blvd.
Officers arrived and spent about an hour searching for the suspect, police said, but never found him. They left the complex at 11:30 p.m., but returned roughly 20 minutes later after receiving another call about the same man.
This time, an officer spotted the suspect, who darted off through the complex.
Officers radioed for air support and K9 units to help find the man as they continued to chase him on foot. An officer eventually ran the man down and used his stun gun to try to make an arrest, officials said.
“The suspect went down on the ground, and at this point officers were giving him multiple commands to show his hands, to roll over, again in an attempt to take him into custody,” said Austin police Chief of Staff Brian Manley.
Manly said officers continued to shout orders at the man for some time, but he refused to comply.
Police dashboard cameras were rolling during the incident, but only captured audio of the altercation. A civilian, however, recorded the shooting on a cellphone.
“What we can see on video is that the suspect very quickly rolls over, produces a handgun and begins firing shots at our officers,” Manley said. “Our officers immediately retreat and return fire. There are multiple shots that are fired, again by both the suspect who initiated the gunfire and our officer who returned fire.”
Manley said investigators believe gunshots from the two officers hit the suspect, and that the man continued to refuse to comply with officers after being shot.
As soon as police isolated the man’s weapon, they began providing emergency medical care until Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Services crews arrived and took him to St. David’s South Austin Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:48 a.m.
Manley said both officers were shaken after the shooting, and they realized how fortunate they were to be left uninjured.
One of the officers has been on the Austin police force for two years and nine months, Manley said. The second has been with the department for 23 years and eight months.
“Having watched that cellphone (video), I stand here tonight saying that we are fortunate we didn’t lose an officer,” he said. “When he rolled over and produced that weapon and fired at our officers, they were in very close proximity, and they did an outstanding job reacting to the deadly force that was put their way.”
Residents at the complex who asked to not be identified said the area is usually quiet. Several could be seen jogging or strolling with their pets as police scoured the parking lot for evidence as the sun rose Thursday morning.
Police records show officers responded to the same complex 34 times in 2016 prior to the incident Wednesday night. It marked the eighth officer-involved shooting in Austin this year, five of which were fatal.
The department’s special investigative unit, its internal affairs office, the district attorney’s office and the Austin police monitor’s office will all be involved with the investigation.
Copyright 2016 Austin American-Statesman, Texas