A Travis County grand jury on Tuesday declined to indict four Austin police officers in a chaotic stolen-car chase that ended in gunfire on May 31, 2025. Officers Joseph Duesler, Kai Finch, Martin Vela, and Vincent Nguyen fired back after 18-year-old driver Devin Guevara allegedly shot at them following a crash, investigators said. Guevara was hit in the collarbone, treated at a hospital and later booked into the Travis County Jail. The grand jury’s decision closes the criminal case against the officers even as body-worn and dash-cam footage from the incident continues to circulate publicly.
Crash, chase and the shooting
In the late-night hours of May 31, Austin police say officers first spotted a vehicle that had been reported stolen and began a pursuit across north Austin. The chase ended on Research Boulevard when the car crashed into another vehicle, according to court documents and the department’s account. As officers got out of their patrol units, the driver allegedly opened fire. Officers shot back, striking the driver once in the clavicle. No officers were reported injured at the scene, as reported by KXAN.
Officers, charges and custody
The Austin Police Department has identified the four officers who discharged their weapons and placed each of them on paid administrative leave while criminal and administrative reviews move forward. The driver was identified as 18-year-old Devin Guevara. Police charged him with three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant, evading in a motor vehicle, and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and he was held on a combined bond, local reporting shows. The department later played dash-cam video and radio audio from the incident at a June briefing, according to FOX 7 Austin.
Grand jury decision
After reviewing the case, Travis County’s special grand jury declined to return criminal charges against Duesler, Finch, Vela, and Nguyen, the district attorney’s office told KVUE. District Attorney José Garza said the office “takes the work of presenting all facts and evidence to a grand jury very seriously,” according to that account.
Footage and public transparency
The Austin Police Department has released body-worn camera video, dash-cam footage, and radio traffic audio from the shooting on its YouTube channel, and officials played portions of it at a public briefing. APD said some of the material was redacted under state law. The department framed the releases as an effort to increase transparency while the criminal and internal probes continue, per reporting by KXAN.
Local reaction and oversight
The case lands in the middle of a broader debate over how and when the Travis County DA uses grand juries for officer-involved shootings. Garza has said that presenting such cases to a grand jury can serve as a tool for public oversight, according to The Texas Tribune. Hoodline first reported the APD investigation following the May chase and has followed developments since last June in coverage that first reported the chase and shooting.
Legal note
A grand jury’s decision not to return an indictment means jurors declined to recommend criminal charges, but it does not prevent internal discipline or civil suits from moving forward. APD’s Internal Affairs Unit and the Office of Police Oversight remain involved in administrative review. Local reporters note that investigations and public oversight processes can continue even after a grand jury decision, per FOX 7 Austin.
