Travis County jurors have decided not to indict an Austin police officer who shot and killed a man in a wheelchair last May, closing a months-long criminal review into a high-profile use of force on the city’s south side.
The case stems from a May 17, 2025, encounter on the 1700 block of West William Cannon Drive that ended with 45-year-old Danny Lee Palomino fatally shot by Officer Joshua Jackson. Jackson, who fired at Palomino, was placed on administrative leave under department policy after the incident and has been under both criminal and internal review since then.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza said a special grand jury wrapped up its work on February 26 and that “an independent group of members of the Travis County community heard the evidence and law and decided that Officer Jackson’s conduct was not unlawful,” according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. Garza added that his office treats the job of presenting facts and evidence to a grand jury “very seriously.”
What APD footage shows
Austin police released body-worn camera video and 911 audio that capture officers responding to several calls about a man in a wheelchair with what callers described as a black pistol in his lap, and Officer Jackson approaching with a department-issued rifle, according to reporting by the San Antonio Express-News.
The footage and a city news release show Palomino raising the object toward officers before Jackson fires several rounds. Police later recovered what they described as a black air pistol that looked similar to a Glock handgun. Palomino was taken to South Austin Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Grand jury finding and DA's rationale
Garza said the special grand jury, a citizen panel convened to review the evidence, did not find probable cause to charge Jackson after hearing testimony and examining the materials presented. In a public statement, he emphasized that the presentation process is “taken very seriously” and that the jurors, whom he described as an independent group of community members, concluded the officer’s actions did not meet the legal standard for criminal prosecution, according to the Travis County District Attorney’s Office.
Oversight, internal reviews and next steps
Jackson was placed on administrative leave in line with the Austin Police Department policy immediately after the shooting. The department’s Special Investigations Unit and Internal Affairs have been running parallel criminal and administrative investigations, while city and oversight offices review the videos and reports, according to the San Antonio Express-News.
City officials have previously said the Office of Police Oversight and the DA’s office reviewed the materials designated for public release before APD posted the videos online, and investigators urged anyone with additional information about the shooting to contact them.
Legal implications
The grand jury’s decision ends the criminal review into Jackson’s conduct on the state level, but it does not prevent potential civil litigation or determine the outcome of APD’s internal proceedings. Families in officer-involved shootings sometimes file separate civil claims even when prosecutors decline to bring charges, and legal advocates noted that those options remain.
For now, the DA’s announcement removes the immediate prospect of state criminal charges while the remaining oversight and administrative processes continue to play out.
Local outlets quickly picked up the development after the DA posted the grand jury result. KXAN reported the announcement and outlined the special grand jury’s findings. This story will be updated as officials release more documents or offer additional public comment.
