Austin police officer shot while conducting welfare check

AUSTIN, Texas —  An Austin police officer was being treated at a hospital Monday after being shot while conducting a welfare check the night prior.

According to Austin Police Department Chief Joseph Chacon, it started about 6:59 p.m. on Channel Island Drive in the Onion Creek area.

Chacon said someone called 911 to request a welfare check on an unidentified person. The person hadn’t been seen in months. When police checked on the person a few hours later, there was no answer at the door.

Police determined they needed to make forced entry to check on the welfare of the person. Seconds later, Chacon said, a resident approached officers with a gun. The officers retreated in order to deescalate the situation and asked the man to drop the gun.

The man then exited the home and began firing. Police returned fire. At 9:05 p.m., one officer reported that he had been shot. The officer was treated at the scene and taken to a hospital. It’s not believed that his injuries are life-threatening.

The shooting suspect eventually surrendered to police. He was wounded and treated at the scene. He was taken to a hospital. His condition wasn’t immediately known.

Chacon said the incident appears to be isolated, and there’s no danger to the public. The incident was captured on an officer’s body camera. The video will be released within 10 working days.

“This was a very chaotic scene and turned out to require quite a bit of resources,” Chacon said. “I do want to extend our gratitude to the Department of Public Safety, who assisted greatly during this incident.”