No officer will be indicted for the officer-involved shooting of a serial bomber in March, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Thursday.
“There’s a part of the oath of office for Austin police officers that says 'I will lay down my life rather than swerve from the path of duty,'" he said at a news conference. "These officers had a duty that night and they did it and they did it professionally, and as a result we saw the end to attacks that had taken place on our community."
The bombings killed Anthony Stephan House and Draylen Mason, and seriously injured four others. The suspect, Mark Conditt, died after a bomb exploded in his car in Round Rock on March 21. Police had surrounded him, and one officer shot into the vehicle.
Here's A Timeline Of The Austin Bombings
About a week later, Williamson County Justice of the Peace Dain Johnson said Conditt died of "multiple penetrating shrapnel injuries" and ruled his death a suicide.
The Austin Police Department also released video of the March 21 incident that Manley said displays the "heroism" of the officers.
"I think what it will demonstrate is the power of the explosive devices that this bomber constructed and that detonated in our community," he said.
Authorities said they found a 25-minute video confession hours before Conditt's death, but that it didn't reveal any specific racial or political motive. When asked Thursday whether police would release the video, Manley said it was still under investigation.
DaLyah Jones contributed to this story.
This post has been updated.
