Christopher Taylor deadly conduct trial: Jury to begin deliberations soon

AUSTIN, Texas - The jury has heard all the evidence and is expected to deliberate Wednesday in the trial of Austin police officer Christopher Taylor. He's charged with deadly conduct in the 2019 shooting death of Mauris DeSilva. 

The defense called several expert witnesses Tuesday.

The case is about what happened on July 31, 2019, when multiple 911 calls came in about a man, later identified as DeSilva, holding a knife to his own throat at the Spring Condominiums in downtown Austin. 

DeSilva was shot by officers Taylor and Karl Krycia and tased by officer Joseph Cast.

The state said DeSilva was in a "profound" mental health crisis.

One of the defense's witnesses Tuesday was Mark Sawa, a police tactics and use of force expert. He said several times he believes Taylor was objectively reasonable in his actions, which the state objected to, calling for a mistrial, which the judge denied. 

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Part of the day was a debate between both sides on whether a piece of evidence was admissible. The defense played an audio clip of District Attorney Jose Garza in a meeting with AISD Police. 

"Let's say you've got someone at 30 feet who was brandishing a knife, who has been unresponsive to commands, who won't get down, won't put the knife down. That is a context that it's seconds away from being a situation where you are authorized to use deadly force. Right? A step towards you, a step towards another person, and you are very likely in a place where you are authorized to use deadly force," Garza says in the audio.

When asked by the state if hearing Garza's recording formed his opinion, Sawa said it only "bolstered" his opinion.

During the state's cross-examination of Sawa, they asked if DeSilva was a threat to others.

"It is your opinion that Mr. Desilva was not at any time imminently committing the offense of murder against Officer Krycia, Officer Taylor, or anybody else," state's attorney Rob Drummond asked.

"That wasn't what my opinion was based on, but no, he was not in the act of committing murder," Sawa said.

Both sides rested Tuesday afternoon. Arguments will be on Wednesday morning, and then the jury will deliberate.