Police in Austin shot and killed a 17-year-old after responding to a July 24 911 report of an armed person near a park on Baden Lane. Body-camera footage shows the teen reach toward his waistband before three officers fired at about 4:02 a.m.; he was pronounced dead at 4:25 a.m. Investigators say the 911 call originated from the teen’s phone and later determined the object was a water bottle, not a gun. The officers are on paid administrative leave while criminal and internal investigations proceed.
Austin Teen Fatally Shot After Officers Responded To 911 Report; Object Was A Water Bottle, Not A Gun
Police tape (stock image)Credit: Getty
Police in Austin, Texas, shot and killed a 17-year-old after responding to a 911 call reporting an armed person near a park in the 10100 block of Baden Lane in the predawn hours of July 24.
According to an Austin Police Department (APD) press release and remarks from APD Chief Lisa Davis, officers arrived at the scene after a caller reported a person with a handgun tucked into his waistband who appeared to be brandishing it. The caller said he saw someone “messing with his waistband” and thought the object looked like a firearm.
“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,”
When officers located a person matching that description, they tried to de-escalate the encounter and directed the individual to keep his hands up. Chief Davis said the situation changed “very quickly, very suddenly” when the person lifted his sweatshirt with one hand and reached into his waistband with the other.
APD released body-worn camera footage showing the movement toward the waistband. At approximately 4:02 a.m., three officers discharged their service weapons and struck the individual. The teen, identified by police as a 17-year-old Black male, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:25 a.m.
Investigators later determined the 911 call was placed from the teen’s phone, and the department said officials believe the teen himself made the call. APD confirmed the object in the teen’s waistband was a water bottle, not a firearm. Based on the circumstances, investigators are considering the possibility of a so-called “suicide by police.”
“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,”
Chief Davis added: “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 am thinking about them. And I am very sorry about this incident.”
Investigations Underway
The three officers involved have been placed on paid administrative leave. The APD is conducting both a criminal investigation and an internal review; the Travis County Medical Examiner’s Office will complete positive identification before the teen’s name is released. The department has also released the 911 audio and body-camera video as part of its public statement about the incident.
The department and outside reviewers will examine the body-worn camera footage, forensic evidence and witness statements to determine whether departmental policy or state law were violated. Public officials have asked that the family’s privacy be respected while investigators complete their work.
Help us improve.
