A Travis County grand jury has declined to indict three Austin Police Department detectives involved in a shooting last year that killed burglary suspect Raymond Lee Howard and wounded a bystander who tried to help take him down. The shooting happened on Aug. 28, 2025, at 1807 West Slaughter Lane in South Austin, during an undercover operation aimed at arresting the 33-year-old Howard.
The grand jury completed its review on Nov. 5, according to the Travis County District Attorney's Office, and found no criminal wrongdoing by detectives Craig Pruitt, Ricardo Cardona and Marcus Gonzalez, as reported by KEYE / CBS Austin. District Attorney José Garza said his office takes seriously the responsibility of presenting all facts and evidence to a grand jury, and said the independent community grand jury decided the detectives' conduct was not unlawful.
How the Confrontation Unfolded
Howard was wanted for multiple burglaries and home invasions in South Austin and Buda, according to the Austin American-Statesman. Detectives had set up the operation to attempt to purchase stolen goods from Howard before moving in to arrest him on an outstanding warrant, the newspaper reported.
Prosecutors say Howard refused repeated commands to get on the ground and pulled a handgun from a crossbody bag. Bystander Fernando Martinez then intervened, attempting to physically restrain Howard. Police later released body camera footage showing Martinez tackling Howard as detectives ordered him to the ground, the station's report notes.
Shots Fired, Bystander Wounded
According to the Travis County District Attorney's Office, Howard fired one round while struggling with Martinez before the three detectives opened fire. Howard died from his gunshot injuries. Martinez was shot in the shoulder and hospitalized overnight with non-life-threatening injuries, per the same account.
Accounts of exactly whose bullet struck Martinez differ. The Statesman reported it remained unclear whether his injury came from Howard's gun or police fire, while KXAN reported that a shot from officers struck Martinez in the shoulder.
Investigations and Aftermath
APD said the shooting would be subject to separate criminal and administrative investigations, including an internal affairs review with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight. Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis praised Martinez for intervening, and Martinez later expressed gratitude for the support he received after the shooting.
This is not the first time a Travis County grand jury has cleared Austin officers in a shooting. A separate May 2025 case involving the shooting of then-18-year-old Devin Guevara after a stolen-vehicle pursuit also ended without indictments, with the grand jury clearing officers Joseph Duesler, Kai Finch, Martin Vela and Vincent Nguyen, according to KXAN. That panel similarly decided the four officers' conduct was not unlawful.
