1 killed, 3 injured in officer-involved shooting on Sixth Street
AUSTIN, Texas - A person was killed, and three others were injured in an officer-involved shooting late Saturday night on Sixth Street.
Soho Lounge boarded its windows up as Sixth Street reopened on Sunday after a deadly night.
"We saw bullet holes in the windows and through the walls, and he saw blood on the ground," said Anthony, who passed by the business.
Shots rang out just before midnight on Sunday.
"We were at the Miracle on 5th bar, and we were walking back right around 12, 12:15, and we saw the cops on the corner here," said Jake Repko, who was nearby when the shooting happened. "It was definitely shocking."
Interim Austin police chief Robin Henderson said in a media briefing that just before midnight Dec. 16, uniformed officers responded to a report of a person attempting to enter a bar with a gun in the 200 block of E. Sixth Street between Brazos and San Jacinto streets.
A bar employee identified the person with the gun, and officers approached. At that point, the person pulled out his firearm and pointed it in the direction of the officers and bystanders, says Henderson.
Three officers then fired at the suspect, who sustained multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead.
No officers were injured, but three bystanders were taken to the hospital. Henderson says one is in critical condition and the other two have non-life-threatening injuries. Investigators aren't sure if the injuries were caused by APD’s or the suspect's bullets.
Henderson added there is "indication" the suspect's gun discharged.
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The shooting was captured on body-worn cameras and the video will be released within 10 business days per department policy, says Henderson.
The three officers who fired their weapons have 9, 11, and 13 years of service with APD and will be placed on administrative duty per department protocol.
APD will conduct two concurrent investigations: a criminal investigation conducted by the APD Special Investigations Unit in conjunction with the Travis County District Attorney's Office and an administrative investigation conducted by the APD Internal Affairs Unit, with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call APD's Special Investigations Unit at 512-974-6840 or Capitol Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. For the Capitol Area Crime Stoppers submission, you may submit a tip online at austincrimestoppers.org. You may remain anonymous.