Austin Police Department (APD) faced a severe incident early Wednesday when an officer, performing routine curfew checks in Zilker Park, encountered a stolen car and later two individuals emerging from the nearby woods. As reported by CBS Austin, the officer, after calling for a tow truck, was confronted by a man and a woman, an exchange that led to gunfire, wounding both the officer and the woman.
According to APD Chief Lisa Davis, during the briefing covered by KUT, the male suspect drew a gun when asked to show his hands, shooting the woman in the head and firing at the officer, who returned fire. According to CBS Austin, the officer was subsequently hospitalized and is "in stable condition after emergency surgery," Chief Davis said. The suspect, after fleeing the scene and being spotted near a school, ran into a private residence in the Barton Hills community, where the homeowner shot him. He was then taken into police custody and is also reported to be in stable condition.
The chase and eventual arrest of the suspect caused significant disruption to the local community, prompting a shelter-in-place order that was lifted, then reinstated, causing confusion among residents. Chief Davis acknowledged the communication issues, saying in an interview with CBS Austin, “I have serious concerns about why that happened myself. And I know there's questions about that, and I will get to the bottom of why that happened and ensure that there's processes in place to ensure that it does not happen again. So that never should have been changed.” Still, she noted that the alert system advised the homeowner to be vigilant, which played a role in the suspect's arrest.
The incident also impacted local education facilities, with schools like Austin High School and Barton Hills Elementary starting their day with a two-hour delay. APD is now seeking the public's assistance to collect more information regarding the shooting. Those with potentially useful photos or videos are urged to submit them, and anyone with information can contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS or anonymously via the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program at 512-472-8477, APD has promised to release further details on the shooting and the alert system during a press conference scheduled for Friday.
