Police officer shot and killed in South Austin
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A file photo of an Austin Police Department officer and vehicle. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
A police officer was killed and another is in the hospital after a shooting early Saturday in South Austin, per a briefing by interim police chief Robin Henderson.
- The officer was identified as Jorge Pastore, who joined the department in 2019. He is survived by his wife, two stepsons, parents and two sisters.
- Two other victims and the suspected shooter also died at the scene.
What they're saying: "My heart and the hearts of Austinites are broken this morning," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter. "This is a horrible moment for our city and those who protect us."
Details: The shooting happened around 4:30am in a home in the 9300 block of Bernoulli Boulevard off Westgate Boulevard, near the intersection with West Slaughter Lane.
- The incident began after a 911 call at 2:49am from a woman screaming for help that a person was stabbing her, per the briefing by Henderson.
- The first officers arrived at 2:57am and learned there were two other people injured in the residence in addition to the suspect, per Henderson.
- A third victim of the suspect was able to escape from the residence prior to the arrival of police. She said the suspect still had a knife, per Henderson.
- At about 3am police officers made "emergency forced entry" into the residence to rescue the two victims, Henderson said.
- They were fired upon by the suspect, Henderson said. The officers backed out of the residence and did not return fire, she said.
- At 3:06am, because the suspect was armed and barricaded within the residence, with two hostages, SWAT officers were called to the scene, she said.
- At 4:11am SWAT officers forced entry into the residence. As they entered, the suspect immediately fired on the officers and they returned fire. During the exchange of gunfire, "information was provided over the radio that two officers were shot," Henderson said.
- The suspect, who has not been named by police, succumbed to his injuries on the scene and was pronounced deceased, Henderson said.
- Two apparent victims of the suspect were located within the residence with fatal injuries and were pronounced dead on the scene, Henderson said.
The injured officer is in stable condition, said Henderson, who did not name either officer.
Flashback: The last killing of an Austin officer in the line of duty was in 2012, when Brandon Daniel shot and killed Jaime Padron in a North Austin Walmart.
- Daniel was sentenced to death and found dead in his prison cell two years ago.
What's next: Memorial service details are pending, Henderson said.