East Austin Man Shot By Police Didn't Fire First As Originally Stated: Chief Manley

EAST AUSTIN, TX — The man shot by police this past weekend during an East Austin standoff didn't fire a weapon at the officers as had previously been stated in the official statement, Police Chief Brian Manley said on Monday.

Lawrence Burrell Parrish, 31, was shot by police on Friday night, April 7, after they responded to a disturbance along the 6300 block of Parliament Drive. He survived the incident and was taken to the hospital for treatment of his injuries.

Parrish exited the home three times, Manley said, raising his rifle at police on his third exit from the home. In a subsequent press conference, the police chief said the Parrish had fired at the officers, forcing them to return gunfire.

But the part about Parrish shooting first didn't happen, Manley said on Monday.

See also: Man Shot After Firing At Police In East Austin

"We're at the stage of the investigation now where that we believe that although Mr. Parrish did raise the weapon and aim it at our officers, he did not, in fact, fire at our officers," Manley said. "But as he raised the weapon and aimed it at our officers, our officers fired at him in fear for their safety and Mr. Parrish went down as we described that night."

To illustrate the officers' fears, Manley held up a photo of the rifle Parrish was wielding as a visual aid to reporters.

"This is what the officers saw as he came to the door, holding this in an arm," Manley said. But no dashcam video will be available to illustrate that perspective, as the police cars were not positioned at an angle to record the encounter. Manley said. The police chief added that audio exists that recorded the entire violent interaction.

Immediately after the incident, Manley theorized that Parrish may have been under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the incident, but on Monday told reporters that hadn't been determined. He also declined to reveal on what part of the body the officers' bullets hit Parrish.

Manley also identified the officers involved in the shooting: Paul Bianchi and Dane O’Neill, five-year veterans of the force and Jordan Wagstaff, who has been with the department for s mere five months. A fourth officer, Marcos Johnson, en eight-year police veteran, reportedly fired two rounds before taking cover.

The officers have been placed under administrative duty during the course of the investigation, as is the custom during officer-involved shootings, Manley said.

Asked by a reporter how it's possible to perceive gunfire directed at them when a firearm isn't discharged, Manley only offered that it was a matter of incorrect perception by the officers after each hit the ground in defensive mode.

"Perceptions are sometimes not 100 percent accurate," Manley said.

Despite not actually having shot at the officers, police charged Parrish with aggravated assault against a public servant. After his release from University Medical Center Brackenridge on Sunday, Parrish was booked into the Travis County Jail, with bail set at $500,000.

>>> Booking photo of Lawrence Burrell Parrish via Austin Police Department