Crime & Safety
Driver, Cops In South Austin Officer-Involved Shooting IDed
Paul Andrew Cantu, 27, was shot by officers Luis Camacho and Robert Mattingly on Jan. 29 in what began as a mere traffic stop.
SOUTH AUSTIN, TEXAS — The Austin Police Department on Thursday identified the man shot dead by police this week after the suspect is said to have gestured at them as if holding a gun. The officers involved in the shooting also have been identified.
The incident occurred late night on Tuesday, Jan. 29, when officers tried pulling over a motorist during a traffic stop near the 6400 block of South Interstate 35. The driver ended up leaving the scene, but officers opted not to chase him. They tracked down his home by running his license plate number, meeting with the parents of the driver who told officers their son had texted them about having been involved in a wreck.
With the information provided to them, officers found the driver around 1:40 a.m. at the 7900 block of East William Cannon Drive along with another vehicle that also appeared to have been involved in a crash. At a press conference, APD Chief Brian Manley said the man was threatening to shoot himself before gesturing toward officers when he was shot.
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Related story: Man Killed By Police Officers In South Austin
The driver, identified as Paul Andrew Cantu, 27, was rushed to the hospital but died a short time later. The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Luis Camacho and Robert Mattingly. Both have been with the local police department for two years, assigned to Southeast/Southwest patrol. As is standard protocol after officer-involved shootings, the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation.
Find out what's happening in South Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
The case will be administratively investigated by APD’s Internal Affairs Unit and monitored by the Office of Police Oversight, police said in a press advisory. A concurrent investigation will be conducted by APD’s Special Investigations Unit, in conjunction with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, officials added.
Editor's note: The man shot by police is no relation to the author.
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