Teen killed in officer-involved shooting; APD says potentially suicide by police

AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department is investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting that left a teen dead.

"A young man lost his life. I cannot imagine the pain and the grief that his family is going through, and I want them to know that I'm thinking about them, and I'm very sorry about this incident," said APD Chief Lisa Davis.

What we know:

Police said on Friday, July 24, around 5:30 a.m., officers responded to an incident in the 10100 block of Baden Lane near Dessau Road.

APD Chief Lisa Davis says one 911 call was received from a male individual who said that there was a young person in the area with a handgun in his waistband who was at times brandishing the gun.

"There seems to be a kid, and it looks like he has a gun. I'm not sure, but he keeps on messing with his waistband. I see something in his hands, it looked like a firearm, but I'm not sure," a 911 call said.

Officers arrived at a park and approached a person who matched the caller's description. 

Chief Davis says officers asked the person if they could talk to him. The person responded and told officers he was okay.

Officers gave directions to make sure they could see the person's hands and Chief Davis says that's when the person "very quickly, very suddenly" raised his sweatshirt with one hand and, with the other hand, reached into his waistband.

Chief Davis says officers fired several shots and the person was pronounced dead at the scene.

The person who died, Chief Davis says, is the same person who called the police. She says it is a potential suicide by police situation.

Chief Davis says the person who died lived in the neighborhood where the shooting happened.

The person who died has only been identified as a 17-year-old teen.

Chief Davis said at a news conference that there was no gun located at the scene but that it was a water bottle in his waistband.

"Officers are often required to make life or death decisions in seconds. This was a rapidly evolving incident. Our commitment now is to examine the facts, the evidence, the officer's actions, and the applicable law," Davis said.

The other side:

Chas Moore, an activist with the Austin Justice Coalition, watched the body camera video when APD released it. He says there needs to be more mental health resources in the city. 

"We just don't have better options. Knowing that this young boy sounded like he was in distress, I would probably argue he was calling for help. Even though he didn't ask directly, the only thing we could offer him was three cops in the wee hours of the morning that resulted in the end of his life," Moore said.

Northeast AustinCrime and Public Safety