An Austin police officer has been indicted by a grand jury in the fatal shooting of Rajan David Moonesinghe in south Austin. The officer, identified as Daniel Sanchez, is now facing a third-degree felony charge of deadly conduct, according to KXAN.
In what appears to be a swift response after the incident, Sanchez was placed on administrative leave, according to police detail. However, a video from the Nov. 15 shooting, revealed by Austin Police, shows the officer giving Moonesinghe a verbal command to drop his gun before proceeding to fire his department-issued weapon, hitting Moonesinghe who later succumbed to the injuries, as seen in footage made public by the APD.
The DA's office has been serious about presenting all facts to a grand jury, which concluded Officer Sanchez's conduct was unlawful, said Travis County District Attorney José Garza. But a statement by interim Chief Robin Henderson asserts differently, claiming that Sanchez's actions were in line with his training when confronted with a subject firing a rifle in a populated neighborhood, reported by CBS Austin.
Garza criticized Henderson's statement, calling it an "inaccurate statement of the facts of this case" and pointed out the language used shows an "alarming disregard for the rule of law." Rajan's family, in seeking more than just this indictment, called on the Austin Police Department to admit the truth of the footage, demand additional indictments against Sanchez and urge for policy changes to enhance community safety. "This senseless and unwarranted shooting cannot be excused by claims of poor training or fear for personal safety," as stated in KXAN.
