Police looking for downtown Austin homicide suspects, vehicle
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department is asking the public for help identifying the suspects and a vehicle believed to have been involved in a homicide in downtown Austin on Sept. 4.
On Sept. 4, at around 2:34 a.m, APD officers were flagged down at the corner of 6th Street and Brazos Street. There they found 27-year-old D'Andre Isiah Day lying on the ground with what appeared to be life-threatening stab wounds.
Day was taken to the hospital where he died from his injuries.
Homicide detectives and Crime Scene Specialists responded to investigate the scene. During the on-scene investigation, detectives determined that Day and a friend had been in an altercation with three other men. One of the three unidentified men stabbed Day.
The stabbing appears to have escalated from a random meeting on the street. The investigation is still ongoing, and detectives believe this to be an isolated incident with no threat to the public.
Police are also looking for an older model Honda Accord.
RELATED STORY: Homicide has Austin residents concerned about violent crime, safety
A passerby appeared to have recorded the altercation but possibly did not realize the severity and left the area. Investigators ask the public to come forward with any information or video.
On May 12, APD released a second video showing people of interest.
Bill Brice, vice president of investor relations for the Downtown Austin Alliance, released a statement on the uptick of crime in the city:
"The Downtown Austin Alliance envisions a downtown that is safe and welcoming for everyone. We recognize that Austin, like other major cities, has experienced an increase in certain types of violent crime. Even so, Austin consistently ranks among the safest large cities in the country. Through the month of August, downtown violent crime in 2022 is consistent with 2021 levels. However, it is currently 14% lower than YTD 2019, when business and tourism activity were at their peak before the pandemic. This unfortunate incident occurred at a time of day and day of the week when violent crimes downtown, though few, are most likely to occur – on weekends between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m.
For nearly 30 years, the Downtown Austin Alliance has provided significant resources to enhance safety downtown and will continue to do so. These initiatives include the Downtown Ambassadors program, funding for overtime police patrols, and funding for the APD HALO (High Activity Location Observation) safety camera system, which enhances APD’s ability to identify, prevent and effectively respond to crimes downtown."
Diana Teahan, a concerned citizen, said she has lived in several large metropolitan areas around the country.
"I’ve seen living in those types of areas how crime can be and then how it also doesn’t have to be," Teahan said.
Teahan said she doesn't think the city has enough oversight, not just by law enforcement, but by citizens, too.
"People not policing themselves I think plays a really, huge part in it. We’re not being adults and then our children see it and our children think it’s okay to behave that way," Teahan said.
She said she's concerned about the incident escalating so quickly.
"No one's saying don’t get angry over something, no one's saying let’s not solve this problem, but how about let’s not say okay, I’m going to solve you, or I’m going to do this, that’s all violence, and it’s just not necessary," Teahan said.
The Austin Police Association released a statement:
"Decisions have consequences. And when City Leadership bows to a handful of police abolitionist activists, we end up where we are today. The need for patrol officers in Austin is showing itself more and more every day. We currently have 263 vacant positions on top of the 150 vacant positions that Council cut. We have 1546 officers down from 1959. Instead of growing this department, City Leadership is slowly killing it.
Our people are second to none in the US, and they are doing great work. We just need more of them to help combat violent crime, to combat property crime and reduce the number of traffic fatalities in our great City."
Anyone with information or video of the incident should call APD Homicide at 512-974-TIPS; the Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 512-472-8477 (TIPS), use the new Crime Stoppers App, or email APD Homicide at homicide.apd@austintexas.gov. You may remain anonymous.