Austinites in Southeast Austin were shaken by a deadly police-involved shooting after a suspect tried to set a Texaco gas station ablaze with employees inside. According to FOX 7 Austin, police responded to a reported stolen vehicle at the intersection of Salt Springs Drive and Thaxton Drive on Tuesday, which escalated to a standoff and ultimately, gunfire.
The situation unfolded when the suspect, driving the stolen car, made his way into the Texaco store and refused to surrender or release his firearm. Neighbors, witnessing the afternoon's events, expressed their shock and fear. "I couldn’t believe that it happened in our neighborhood right here," Miguel Uribe, who's lived near the scene for 20 years, told CBS Austin. During the standoff, Uribe recounted hearing gunshots and the cascade of pepperballs.
Interim Chief Robin Henderson of the Austin Police Department briefed that the suspect, armed and dangerous, had been pouring lighter fluid inside the store, making suicidal threats. Officers, attempting to protect themselves and the trapped store employee, resorted to firing pepper ball rounds at the suspect. "Officers determined the suspect's incendiary device, especially if used in the area where the suspect poured the lighter fluid, posed an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury to the employee who still trapped inside the store," Henderson explained, as reported by FOX 7 Austin.
An officer was compelled to shoot the suspect after he began creating a Molotov cocktail. Authorities say no other injuries occurred during the standoff. The suspect was taken to a local hospital but later pronounced dead, Henderson added. The involved officer has since been placed on administrative duty, a routine procedure following such incidents. Meanwhile, the Austin Police Department has committed to transparency, promising the release of body camera and drone footage within 10 working days, as informed by CBS Austin.
Local resident Joe Barnes reflected on the gravity of the situation, "It is crazy when it’s close to home like that, but you know it happens anywhere unfortunately and it’s tragic that somebody lost their life in the way they lost it," as he told CBS Austin. Police are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward and have provided contact details for reporting tips to assist in the ongoing investigation.
