Grand Jury Rules Deadly Force Justified in Cedar Park Shooting
Cedar Park police officer Joseph Christensen was justified in shooting and killing 20-year-old Chad Runge, a grand jury rules. Photo courtesy flickr.com/photos/safari_vacationA grand jury in Williamson County ruled today that Cedar Park police officer Joseph Christensen was justified in shooting and killing Chad Runge, an armed robber, in February.
Cedar Park police chief Henry Fluck said this is the first fatal officer-involved shooting in Cedar Park’s history.
“In this particular case, it’s unfortunate what happened to Mr. Runge, but he did force the officer’s hand,” Fluck said. “When you have an armed and masked man who pops up from a wall and points a weapon, this is the unfortunate consequence of what can happen.”
Officers responded to a 911 call on the night of February 24 alerting them of a robbery in progress at the Little Caesar’s Pizza on Walton Way in Cedar Park. Runge was an employee of the restaurant.
Williamson County District Attorney John Bradley says he believes there is no question that Officer Christensen was justified in using deadly force.
