Suspect killed in officer-involved shooting in downtown Austin

AUSTIN, Texas – One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting in downtown Austin Saturday.

What we know:

One person is dead after an officer-involved shooting in downtown Austin Saturday morning following a foot pursuit, according to the Austin Police Department.

Police said officers first received calls shortly after 8 a.m. reporting that a white man was pointing a handgun at several people along the trail near Lamar Boulevard and West Cesar Chavez Street.

About three hours later, an officer located the suspect near the TownLake YMCA in the 1100 block of West Cesar Chavez Street. Police said the suspect fled on foot, leading officers on a chase.

What they’re saying:

According to APD, officers repeatedly ordered the suspect to drop the handgun, but he refused to comply.

“The officers gave commands for the individual to drop the firearm. The subject refused to stop, refused to drop the firearm,” an APD spokesperson said. “At one point, the officers caught up with the individual. Unfortunately, the officers were faced with a situation in which they had fired rounds, striking the subject.”

“This is the first time I’ve seen something like this happen since I’ve been coming here in over 10 years,” said a man named Salvador, who goes to the Townlake YMCA almost every day. He says he was grateful no one else was injured in the shooting, considering it was the facility’s busiest day of the week.

“It’s difficult to even walk in the place because there’s just so many parents and children at this YMCA on Saturdays,” he told FOX 7. “It’s very scary. Not only do I go to the YMCA here, but I also run on the trail, which is right across the street. I run on a trail there maybe two or three times a week. And if it’s a nice day, there are thousands of people running on the trails on Saturday morning because the weather is really mild, and they can get their walk in or their run in. So, it’s terrifying.”

Assistant Police Chief Lee Rogers says that there will be two investigations into the incident, including an administrative investigation conducted in conjunction with the Austin Police Oversight and a criminal investigation with APU Special Investigations Unit and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. 

Dig deeper:

Police said officers immediately rendered medical aid after the shooting, but the suspect died from his injuries.

No officers or members of the public were injured during the incident.

Authorities have not released the identity of the man who was killed.

Police have not identified the officers involved in the shooting or said how many officers fired their weapons.

The officer-involved shooting remains under investigation.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.