by JESSICA VESS / KVUE News
Posted on December 28, 2009 at 8:09 AM
Updated today at 4:56 PM
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Austin police are investigating a deadly officer-involved shooting.
It happened shortly after 3:00 Monday morning at a house in the Olympic Heights neighborhood off Brodie Lane in South Austin.
Police Chief Art Acevedo says the department got a 911 call at 2:54 am from a woman who told officers she had locked herself in the bathroom at the house at 11800 Johnny Weismuller. Police say she was whispering and reported a domestic disturbance between herself and her boyfriend.
“The (boyfriend) had been distraught according to the girlfriend, for the last day or two” said Chief Acevedo.
Two Travis County sheriff's deputies were nearby and responded first. A few minutes later APD officers arrived.
“This is something we commonly do. We work in close jurisdiction with one another and we back each other up at all times. It is what we do. It is our job to protect the community,” said Cpl. Art Cardenas of the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
The officers and deputies met with the woman who was out of the house by that time. She told officers there was a rifle in the house.
Police say they knocked on the door and asked the suspect to come out.
When he did, 11 minutes after the 911 call, police say he had a chrome revolver in his hand and pointed it at the officers.
One of the Travis County deputies and an APD officer fired their guns, shooting and killing the suspect.
“When somebody points a handgun at you, you have a second to make a decision. You use deadly force when deadly force is presented,” said Chief Acevedo.
Chief Acevedo says the officers immediately began administering CPR. EMS crews took over several minutes later when they arrived. The suspect did not survive.
“Unfortunately, when you’re confronted with an armed suspect with a handgun that’s pointing it to you in a threatening manner, and the suspect refuses to drop the weapon, you have a choice to make and sadly, a family lost a loved one,” said Chief Acevedo.
The suspect’s mother spoke with KVUE News.
“This is one of the worst days of my life,” said Brenda James.
James says her son, Roger Tyrone James, turned 38 years old on Sunday.
“Roger was a good child. One of the best kids I ever had,” said James, “I just don’t know how I’m going to go home without him. They did not’t have to do that to him. They just didn’t have to do it.”
Chief Acevedo and the Travis County Sheriff’s Office say dashboard cameras inside the patrol vehicles were activated during the shooting.
Chief Acevedo confirms there is audio of the entire incident. It remains unclear how much video the cameras captured.
“Because of the nature of the incident, where it was at the front door of a house, right outside of a house, more than likely the cameras aren’t facing the house,” said Chief Acevedo.
Five agencies are investigating this shooting including the Austin Police Monitor, the Travis County District Attorney's Office, the Travis County Sheriff's Office, the Austin Police Department and Texas Rangers.
“We will make sure that a thorough and complete investigation is done in the interest of justice,” said Cpl. Cardenas.
Chief Acevedo says the department is investigating this officer-involved shooting under the new policies and procedures the department unveiled earlier this month.
The Texas Rangers are involved as part of protocol with any deputy related shooting from the Travis County Sheriff’s Office.
The names of the deputy and officer involved in the shooting have not been released.
The Travis County Sheriff’s Office says the deputy is an eight year veteran with Travis County S.O.
Chief Acevedo says the officer involved is a two year veteran with APD. He is on paid administrative leave which is normal procedure.
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