Austin Police Shooting: Officer Wounded, Suspect Killed in Downtown Incident: LATEST

AUSTIN, TX - An Austin police officer is in stable condition and a suspect was killed after a shooting near West 5th Street in downtown Austin, Chief of Police Art Acevedo told reporters at a press conference.

Just before 11 a.m., a security guard for an apartment complex in the 800 block of West 5th Street observed a suspicious male in the parking lot who was allegedly burglarizing cars, Acevedo said. The security guard was able to call 911 and engaged in a foot pursuit with the suspect up West Avenue.

An officer in a marked patrol car observed the chase and called for backup.

The suspect, described only as a white male in his 30s, went into the parking lot of Frank and Angie's in the 500 block of West Avenue where he was knocked down twice by the security guard before the officer arrived on scene and tried to control the suspect. The officer put out an additional call when the suspect became combative, Acevedo said.

When the security guard came to the officer's aid the suspect "suddenly and without any warning" turned and took out a semi automatic pistol and fired one shot at the officer hitting him below the vest in the lower right abdomen. Acevedo said the officer returned fire, striking the suspect.

Police then received several 911 calls stating there had been a shooting and at least one of the callers reported that an officer had been shot.

Other officers arrived on scene and were able to control the firearm in the suspect's hand and rendered it safe.

The officer, an almost 10 year veteran of the department, has had the bullet removed and is conscious and alert. The suspect was pronounced deceased at the scene sometime after 11 a.m.

An administrative investigation into the shooting will take place as well as an investigation by the department's special investigations division. Acevedo said the entire incident was captured very clearly on camera.

The incident is the second officer-involved shooting in less than two months in Austin. A17-year-old black teenager was fatally shot by police in February.

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