AUSTIN, Texas — Police shot and killed a man who fired at them after they initially responded to an unrelated motel shooting, the Austin Police Department (APD) confirmed on March 6.
The APD said a shooting happened at approximately 2:54 p.m. in the 7100 block of North Interstate Highway 35 at a Motel 6. Police said it's unknown whether the shooting happened in the hotel parking lot or one of the rooms. The APD said someone took the victim to the hospital. The victim had life-threatening injuries, but had since improved to stable condition and was later released from the hospital.
While police were investigating the motel shooting call, the APD said it was notified at approximately 4:46 p.m. from officers on scene that there had been an officer-involved shooting at the 7-Eleven just north of the Motel 6. APD Police Chief Joseph Chacon said in a press conference that the two shootings were not related. He said two officers were canvassing the area for video to support the investigation of the motel shooting when they heard shots fired near the 7-Eleven.
Officials released bodycam footage of the incident on March 17. Dashcam video was not available because the officers were on foot when the incident happened, Chacon said. There was no 911 audio available either since the officers were not dispatched to the scene, but heard the shots fired and went to the area.
WARNING – Content is graphic:
Each individual video can be viewed by scrolling to the bottom of the story.
According to a March 9 update, the two officers were on foot in the area when the incident happened.
Chacon said the officers later saw a man firing a weapon into a tent. The March 9 update clarified that the man had fired in the area of a tent, not into a tent. The officers gave the man orders to get on the ground, but he turned and fired at them, Chacon said. The officers returned shots, the man was struck and he went down, according to Chacon.
Chacon said the officers made contact with the man seconds later, removed the gun from his possession and immediately began life-saving measures on him. At 4:52 p.m., Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) and the Austin Fire Department arrived at the scene and also began life-saving measures, Chacon said. The man was pronounced dead at 5:06 p.m.
Chacon said one of the officers involved in the fatal shooting was a recent APD academy graduate from last month who was "in a training capacity" and the other was his training officer who has been with the department for more than four years.
Chacon said both officers will be placed on administrative duty, per department policy, while two concurrent investigations are conducted: an administrative investigation by the internal affairs unit and a criminal investigation by the special investigations unit overseen by the Travis County District Attorney's Office.
On March 17, the officers were identified as Britton Taylor and Charles Wesley. Taylor is the officer with four years of service, while Wesley is the recent graduate. The deceased was identified as Miguel Ruiz Rivera, 28.
Anyone with more information about this case is asked to contact the police.
Witness cellphone video:
Officer Taylor's bodycam video:
Officer Wesley's bodycam video:
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