Suspect in officer-involved shooting charged, officers on administrative leave
AUSTIN, Texas - The suspect involved in an officer-involved shooting in Northeast Austin earlier this month has been charged with two counts of attempted capital murder.
The incident was captured on a body-worn camera as well as the in-car camera of the police vehicle, according to police. Per APD protocol, both officers involved have been placed on administrative leave while an administrative investigation is conducted by the APD Internal Affairs Unit, with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight.
According to police, the officer-involved shooting happened on Friday, April 9, just after midnight, in the 6300 block of the westbound service road for E. U.S. 290. Officers were dispatched to the area after Austin 911 received a "Gun Hotshot" call.
A motorist told Austin 911 that they were being shot at by a pursuing vehicle, according to police. The caller also said that the suspect vehicle continued to follow and shoot, even as the driver was attempting to flee down various streets.
A two-officer APD unit made contact with the victim driver that had been shot at. The victim was uninjured and provided officers with a description of the suspect’s vehicle and its last known direction of travel, according to police.
Minutes later, the officers were traveling behind the suspect vehicle in the 6300 block of the westbound service road for E. U.S. 290 and activated their emergency lights. As the officers stopped the suspect vehicle and exited their patrol vehicle, they immediately took gunfire from the suspect, 22-year-old Gregorio Sarmiento.
The officers returned fire, according to police. During the exchange, one of the officers and the suspect were both struck.
Officers immediately requested medical assistance from ATCEMS.
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The officers involved in this critical incident are identified as:
- Officer: Jon Riordan #8948 (injured), 2 years of service
- Officer: Kingly Kong #9077, 1 year of service
Officer Riordan was in stable condition after undergoing surgery the morning of the incident and has since been released from the hospital.
Sarmiento was listed in critical, but stable condition the morning of the incident. He has been charged with two counts of attempted capital murder, with a total bond of $1 million dollars.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS, or use the new Crime Stoppers App. You can also submit tips by downloading APD’s mobile app, Austin PD, for free on iPhone and Android.