Suspect killed by police after chase

Neighbors are shocked after police shot and killed a Southwest Austin man Sunday morning.

It started about 11:30 p.m. when police said they got a call from a woman that thought she was being followed by a suspect. The woman even told police the man walked up to her car at one point, but she quickly drove away.  

When officers met the woman, they believe they saw the man's truck driving away. The woman then gave police a license plate number. That led them to a home on Claxton Drive.

"The officers, as part of their follow-up investigation, responded to the Claxton address in an effort to meet with this individual and determine if and why he was following this female, as reported, and what his motives were," said Chief of Staff Brian Manley with the Austin Police Department.

When police turned to leave the man's home, they noticed something odd.

"They observed the suspect's vehicle, the pickup truck that was in the driveway, to have blood on the vehicle in multiple places," said Manley.

Officers said the suspect could not explain the blood on his car or on his clothing.
    
"At one point, one of the officers instructed him to go ahead and stand up and place his hands behind his back. At that point, the subject stood up and took off running and as he's running, it can be seen on the officers in car camera video, he begins reaching into the back of his shorts, grabbing for an item," said Manley.

Police said in the video officers are heard yelling that the man has a gun, and telling him to drop it, and then shots are fired.

"All of a sudden I heard two gunshots outside my window," said Jerod Wolff who lives across the street from the suspect's home.  

Police said one officer had fired, killing the suspect.

"Before I knew it there was a helicopter flying over and cops all up and down my street," Wolff said.

Investigators said they found a gun next to the suspect's body. They are still working to analyze the blood on the man's truck to determine where it came from.

"This neighborhood is nice and quiet. You assume everybody's good, law-abiding citizens and all of a sudden, right across the street from you, that's not such the case and that's kind of disturbing," said Wolff.

This is the third officer-involved shooting in Austin in the last week. For neighbors on Claxton Drive it is the first time it has hit so close to home.

"My heart goes out to everybody. It's like, I'm sorry for their loss and I'm sorry that he had to shoot somebody, the officer. It happened, it's over with, all we can do is move on," Wolff said.

The officer involved in the shooting has been with the Austin Police Department for one year, but worked at a different department before that. He is on administrative leave while the incident is investigated. That is standard policy for any officer involved in a shooting.