LIVINGSTON, Texas — Brandon Daniel, who shot and killed Austin police officer Jaime Padron in 2012 and was sentenced to death, has been found dead in his cell bunk.
Austin police and Padron’s family were informed of the death late Saturday, KVUE’s Tony Plohetski confirmed. Daniel was 33.
A statement from Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokesperson Robert Hurst said a correctional officer at the Polunsky Unit in Livingston was conducting security rounds when he discovered Daniel unresponsive around 4:30 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Officers determined he was not breathing, and life-saving measures were initiated. EMS medics arrived shortly after and continued efforts to resuscitate Daniel, but he was pronounced dead at 5:10 a.m., according to Hurst.
Per policy, the Office of Inspector General is investigating the death and an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause. Foul play does not appear to be a factor, Hurst said.
Padron was shot and killed in the line of duty in 2012 while responding to a call about a suspicious intoxicated person at a North Austin Walmart.
Daniel struggled with Padron before shooting him in the neck. He was found guilty in February of 2014.
In 2015, Daniel appeared in court to ask to waive his appeals in an effort to speed up his execution.
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