The Travis County District Attorney's Office has dropped the murder charge against Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor regarding the 2019 death of Mauris DeSilva, now only pressing a charge of deadly conduct, a third-degree felony. Taylor's attorney, Doug O'Connell told KXAN, "The government has notified us, and the Court that they will not proceed on the Murder Charge and instead will only proceed on Deadly Conduct." O’Connell added, "Regardless of the charge, Officer Taylor is not guilty of any crime. We are looking forward to seeing him acquitted so that he and his family can finally put this tragedy behind them."
According to Taylor's defense, there appears to be a steadfast belief in his innocence and a sense of hopefulness about the outcome of the upcoming legal proceedings concerning the deadly conduct charge. The District Attorney's Office maintaining its policy on active cases, has opted not to comment. Taylor who was initially set to stand trial for the murder later in September, previously faced a jury over the shooting death of Michael Ramos in 2020, which resulted in a mistrial after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous decision, as detailed by CBS Austin.
Back in July 2019, Mauris DeSilva was experiencing a mental health crisis and was allegedly holding a knife to himself when Austin Police officers, including Taylor and Officer Karl Krycia, arrived on the scene. The situation escalated when DeSilva reportedly moved the knife to his side upon request but then moved toward the officers with the knife, which led to them discharging their firearms. DeSilva ultimately succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
In the aftermath of the charges being dropped, Officer Taylor has been reassigned to administrative duties within the Austin Police Department, specifically assisting bureau detectives. This shift comes as his legal matters continue to unfold, a path neatly lined with obstacles, complexities, and the weight of public scrutiny. Following the previous mistrial in Taylor's case from November 2023, the Travis County District Attorney's Office stated in June that a grand jury issued No True Bills, effectively concluding the case against Taylor without a conviction.
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