AUSTIN, Texas — A motorcyclist was shot by an Austin Police Department officer and a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper after reportedly running from the officer, then attempting to steal a car on Cameron Road on Monday, Aug. 8.
At approximately 11:13 p.m. Monday, APD said an officer pulled over a motorcyclist on Cameron Road and US Highway 290 for operation of a vehicle without a license plate. Police said as the motorcycle stopped, the driver – 37-year-old Brandon Munoz – began running away from the officer. The officer got out of his vehicle and chased after Munoz.
APD said as the officer chased Munoz, he saw that Munoz had a gun in his hand. The officer repeatedly told Munoz to drop the gun, according to APD.
APD said a DPS trooper was in the area, monitoring APD radio, and responded to assist the police officer in the foot chase.
Munoz ran toward a shopping center at the intersection and got into an unrelated vehicle that was parked, waiting for someone else, according to APD. Munoz attempted to carjack the vehicle, telling the person inside to start driving.
It was at this time that APD said both the officer and the DPS trooper fired at Munoz, striking him while he was inside the vehicle. The other person inside the vehicle was not injured and quickly got out.
APD said a gun was recovered at the scene.
APD officers got Munoz out of the car and begin performing life-saving measures. Medics arrived and transported Munoz to a local hospital with critical injuries. As of Aug. 22, police said the suspect remains in the hospital in "critical but stable" condition.
APD said this incident was captured on both body-worn camera and dash camera video. The department released edited footage on Aug. 22. It is available here:
APD said the officer involved in this incident has less than one year in the department, having graduated from APD's training academy in January. Per APD protocol, they have been placed on administrative leave. On Aug. 22, the officer was identified as Officer Michael Bradburn.
APD will conduct two investigations into this incident: a criminal investigation by the APD Special Investigations Unit along with the Texas DPS Rangers in conjunction with the Travis County District Attorney's Office, and an administrative investigation conducted by the APD Internal Affairs Unit with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight.
Anyone with any information about this incident should call Crime Stoppers at 512-472-TIPS or use the Crime Stoppers App.
This shooting wasn't the only one in Austin overnight Aug. 8 into Aug. 9. Police are also looking for a gunman wanted for shooting a man near a bus stop on William Cannon Drive and Bluff Springs Road at around 3:45 a.m. Tuesday. The victim was taken to the hospital and is expected to be OK. Police did not have a suspect in custody as of 5 a.m. Tuesday.
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