Alex Gonzales Jr officer-involved shooting: City reaches settlement with injured girlfriend

Settlement reached in deadly OIS in Austin

The City of Austin has reached a settlement with a woman who was injured when her boyfriend was shot to death by an Austin police officer in 2021. But, there is still another pending lawsuit in this case

AUSTIN, Texas - The city of Austin has reached a settlement with a woman injured when her boyfriend was shot and killed by an APD officer in 2021.

What we know:

City Council approved the $550,000 settlement Thursday for Jessica Arellano.

"The city came to the table and did the responsible thing," said Arellano's attorney Jeff Edwards.

Alex Gonzales shot, killed in 2021

APD releases body camera footage from shooting of Alex Gonzales Jr.

The Austin Police Department has already shown the video to the family of Alex Gonazles, Jr., the officers involved, and city officials.

The backstory:

Arellano was injured on January 5, 2021. She was riding as a passenger in Gonzales' car with her two-month-old baby in the backseat.

They came across Gabriel Gutierrez, an off-duty officer, who claimed Gonzales cut him off and flashed a gun at him. Gonzales' family attorneys say Gutierrez was the one who cut Gonzales off.

Gutierrez shot Gonzales in the face and Arellano in the arm, back, and lungs. He called 911, and two on-duty officers came, and Officer Luis Serrato shot Gonzales, killing him.

Police say there was a gun found in Gonzales' car.

Arellano's lawsuit

Dig deeper:

"It's just flat out wrong that Jessica was shot in this situation, whether there was a gun in someone else's hand or whether there wasn't," Edwards said.

The lawsuit was filed in 2023. It accuses APD of having a "custom of using excessive force on minorities," which Edwards says still needs to be corrected.

"Settlements are not solutions, but what settlements do is offer an opportunity to the city and its policymakers to reflect on what they have been doing," Edwards said. "The prior management of the Austin Police Department - unacceptable in terms of holding officers accountable."

Edwards says the settlement with Arellano will help her move forward.

"This is a significant enough settlement that I can look Jessica in the eye and say, 'this is the right thing to do for you and your child and your family,'" he said.

What's next:

Neither officer was indicted, but there is still a pending lawsuit from Gonzales' parents. That case is going to trial.

Because the lawsuit from Gonzales' parents is going to trial, Gutierrez's attorney says he doesn't comment on pending cases.

The City of Austin provided this statement:

"In this case, as in all lawsuits, the City evaluates claims individually based on the facts and circumstances involved to work towards the most appropriate resolution for all involved, and here the parties mutually agreed to the terms of this settlement. However, the City strongly denies that APD has a culture of using excessive force and continuously seeks to provide the best service to the community."

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Angela Shen

Crime and Public Safety Austin