Austin policing under scrutiny following shooting of unarmed Black teen
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Austin policing is again in the spotlight as the shooting of an unarmed Black teenager continues to roil parts of the city.
Here's what we know: The officer-involved shooting in the pre-dawn hours July 24 on a playground on Baden Lane, in Northeast Austin, was set in motion with a 911 call.
- "I'm looking out my window. It seems to be a kid. It looks like he has a gun. I'm not sure. … He keeps on messing with his waistband," the caller said, per a recording released by the police.
- A trio of responding officers confronted a 17-year-old, directing him to keep his hands up, according to police and bodycam footage of the incident. (Warning: The bodycam footage is graphic and distressing.) The individual lifted his shirt and reached for his waistband, police say. Officers then opened fire.
- After the shooting, Austin police chief Lisa Davis said that police determined the call came from the teen's cellphone, calling the incident "potentially a suicide by police."
- The three officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave, per departmental policy. The city identified them as Alexis Cruz, Jake Pitcher and Avery Zucchi, each with between two and four years of experience at the department.
The latest: Authorities have yet to identify the teen, but the Austin American-Statesman reported Monday that the father of Anthoneil Williams II had confirmed to the outlet that his son was the teenager killed by police.
- Axios could not independently confirm the identity of the teen.
What they're saying: "This tragedy is a reminder that access to timely mental health and behavioral health care and support can make a meaningful difference for individuals and families facing a crisis," City Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, who represents the area where the shooting took place, said in a statement on Monday.
- "Our community deserves answers, and we must ensure that every incident involving the use of deadly force is reviewed with integrity, transparency, and accountability," she added.
The other side: "What happened to this young man is tragic because it shouldn't happen, but that is not the fault of the Austin Police Department, that is not the fault of officers, that is a broken mental health system, where someone feels like the out they have is at the hands of police," Austin Police Association president Michael Bullock told KXAN.
- "Law enforcement did not drive this situation. I wish it had not occurred."
The big picture: Friday's incident is the latest in a string of fatal shootings by Austin police of unarmed Black boys and men, including the 2013 shooting of Larry Jackson, the 2016 shooting of 17-year-old David Joseph and the 2020 shooting of Mike Ramos.
- In the wake of George Floyd's killing in 2020, the Austin City Council unanimously approved proposals aimed at limiting police officers' use of force.
- One of the new policies, written by then-Council Member Greg Casar (now a Democratic congressman representing parts of Austin), says that a person fleeing officers must pose an imminent threat before officers can shoot.
- The bodycam from Friday does not show a person fleeing, though it does appear to show officers shooting a second volley of bullets after the person they had shot continued to move.
What's next: Police say they are conducting a criminal investigation and an administrative investigation in the shooting's aftermath.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with reporting identifying the teenager shot by police.