Category: Austin Police Department|Police Shooting

On October 17, 2016, 26-year-old Micah Jester was allegedly shot and killed by officers with the Austin Police Department (APD). The alleged shooting was controversial and has been under investigation. The Travis County District Attorney’s office announced on Wednesday, May 2, 2018, that the alleged police shooting was justified. As a result of the DA’s finding, the case involving the two police officers allegedly involved in the shooting will not be brought before a grand jury and they will face no criminal charges in connection with Jester’s death.

The events leading to the alleged fatal police shooting began when a man contacted 9-1-1 saying Jester was in need of mental health assistance. When asked if she was armed with a weapon, the man vacillated. Two officers went to the scene. As they approached the apartment of the caller, Jester stepped from a breezeway that leads to the apartment. She rapidly walked on a sidewalk that led directly to the positions of the officers. She was allegedly pointing something at them, and both officers said it appeared to be handgun. It was later determined that Jester had been armed with a BB gun that resembled a handgun.

Facts surrounding Jester’s death were not immediately released. Two days after the incident, the officers provided more details. They said Jester was shouting for the officers to shoot her and kill her, all the while directing the weapon at the police officers. Jester reportedly failed to comply with commands to drop the weapon.

Both officers say they took cover and fired their weapons at her. Jester fell onto the sidewalk, but officers said she continued to make a move toward her weapon. When she eventually touched it, one of the officers discharged her weapon once again, striking Jester. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

The alleged fatal police shooting was investigated by the Internal Affairs Unit with the Austin Police Department, the department’s Special Investigations Unit, the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Police Monitor.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor

At approximately 4:33 a.m. on Wednesday, March 7, 2018, in Austin, Texas, a 46-year-old man who approached police officers with a pickax was allegedly shot and killed. The alleged deadly police-involved shooting happened in the 4800 block of Tanney Street in East Austin, near Springdale Road.

At approximately 4:18 a.m., the Austin Police Department received a call from a man claiming that he had killed his father and brother at the address mentioned above. Several police officers quickly responded and arrived at the home at 4:23 a.m. Contact with the caller was made in the street, and the man was holding a pickax. Police officers are seen in a police video commanding the man to drop his weapon and please drop the pickax. The negotiation continued for about 10 minutes, during which time police officers issued multiple commands for the man to disarm himself. The officers then allegedly drew closer. Non-lethal rounds of impact munitions were fired as the man was approaching the house, but he deflected them with a chair he was holding. Police officers also used an electronic weapon. After that, the man allegedly approached officers with the pickax raised, and five police officers allegedly opened fire. The man who had been holding the pickax was pronounced dead at the scene, and no one else was injured.

Officers had been anxious to go inside the home to find out if anyone needed medical attention, but no one in the home was harmed, according to Chief Brian Manley with the Austin Police Department. He also said the five officers who fired shots have been placed on administrative leave. Pending investigations into the alleged fatal police-involved shooting, the two officers who fired less lethal weapons are also placed on administrative duty. Manley said it appeared a suicide note had been left behind by the deceased suspect.

Family members of the deceased said he had a disability.

As with every post on this website, we are only providing information in this post and do not make any allegation or assertion that anyone acted inappropriately or engaged in misconduct.

–Guest Contributor