Austin Police Wrap Up Internal Investigation Into Officer-Involved Shooting Of Unarmed Teen

AUSTIN, TX -- The internal police investigation in an officer’s killing of an unarmed black teen last month has been concluded and is under review, the chief of police said Monday.

Austin Police Department Chief Art Acevedo confirmed to media outlets that the investigation into the controversial shooting is now finished.

APD officer Geoffrey Freeman fatally shot 17-year-old David Joseph on Feb. 8 in North Austin. Police had been called to Yager Lane to investigate a man chasing another

The pursuer ended up being Joseph, who was naked, for unknown reasons, by the time police arrived at the scene. The officer later said Joseph had lunged at him on approach, prompting the shooting within seconds of the encounter.

The case now is being reviewed by the APD’s Internal Affairs Division as well as the Special Investigations Unit -- part of a 30-day review period scheduled to end Thursday.

The findings of the report won’t be released until the police chief and the chain of command has a chance to examine it, Acevedo told KXAN-TV.

“Thirty days is a goal, but we’re not going to artificially cut off an investigation if there’s more steps to be taken,” Acevedo told the station.

The shooting has galvanized the city’s African American community in protest. Days after the killing, several community activists descended upon Austin City Hall during a regular council meeting to protest the actions of the officer, who, like the dead teen, also is African American.