Austin police say an officer fatally shot man who had shot him in the stomach. Police Chief Art Acevedo says a security guard had seen the suspect breaking into cars Sunday morning.
Update 2:45 p.m. Tuesday April 5: The name of the deceased from Sunday’s officer-involved shooting has been identified as 25-year-old Darrin Andrew Martin. Police said the shooting will be investigated by the department’s Internal Affairs Unit, the Austin Police Monitor and the District Attorney’s office before evidence is presented to a grand jury.
Update 5 p.m. Monday April 4: The Police department says it can not yet release the identity of the deceased until the next-of-kin is notified, though the department did confirm via a press release that he was a 25-year-old white male. The officer involved was identified as Region 1 patrol officer Armando Perez, who's been with the department for nine and a half years. He's been placed on administrative leave as per standard protocol for officer-involved shootings.
The case remains under investigation, the department's spokesperson said, and will be reviewed by APD's Internal Affairs Unit, Office of the Police Monitor, APD's Special Investigation Unit, and the Travis County District Attorney's Office, and it will be presented to a Travis County Grand Jury.
Original story: At around 11 a.m. yesterday, the security guard began chasing the suspect, and the officer then joined the pursuit. The officer then called for backup. Acevedo says that the shooting happened as the officer and security guard tried to restrain the suspect.
Acevedo said the incident was captured on the officer's dashcam video and that the officer tried repeatedly to get the suspect to comply with commands to show him his hands. The suspect then, without warning, pulled out a semi-automatic pistol and shot the officer. The officer returned fire, fatally shooting the suspect.
The officer, who is a nine-year veteran, is conscious and in stable condition, though he is “shaken up,” the Chief said. The officer will be placed on administrative leave with pay, as is common in officer-involved shootings.
APD is expected to release the identity of both the officer and the suspect Monday. You can listen to the full audio of Sunday's briefing below.
This is a developing story and we will update with more information as it becomes available.
