Man shot by Austin police officers speaks out after filing lawsuit

AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - Lawrence Parrish is speaking to FOX 7 Austin for the first time, since he was shot by Austin police officers in April 2017. He described his injuries in the interview.

"This finger was actually shot off. I had a bullet by my heart and a bullet by my lungs," he said.

Officers were called out to Parrish's home that night to address a reported altercation that night.

"He came out of the residence at one point. He came out a second time again, having a rifle in his hand and went back in the residence. He came out a third time, raised the weapon at our officers and fired," Chief Brian Manley said in 2017.

"A day or two later Chief Manley had to recant that and say well actually he didn't fire at us. But he did point a firearm at us," said Robert Ranco with the DC Law Firm.

Parrish was arrested and charged with aggravated assault on a peace officer. 

"As trial was approaching the prosecutors decided to drop the charge of aggravated assault upon a peace officer, because apparently they didn't have enough to make that case," said Ranco.

Parrish filed an excessive force lawsuit earlier this year. He also was released from jail this summer.

"It's just really demoralizing for Lawrence in particular but for the community as a whole, that we have somebody sitting in jail for a year and a half on a charge they can't make because they simply don't have the evidence to make it," said Ranco.

"It's terrifying to know like, you don't even have any type of rights," Parrish said. "My motivation is to get justice on just the overdoing of that way they treat us, the way they treated me."

Parrish and Ranco say what they want most from this lawsuit is accountability.

"Nobody should have to endure that, not from someone you feel should be protecting your life," said Parrish.