APD identifies man killed in officer-involved shooting
AUSTIN, Texas (FOX 7 Austin) - The Austin Police Department has identified the man who was killed in the officer-involved shooting in South Austin on Tuesday, January 29 as 28-year-old Paul Andrew Cantu. APD also identified the police officers involved in the shooting.
According to police, officers had pulled over Cantu on Monday evening along I-35 when he fled the scene in his vehicle. The officers chose not to follow him and instead investigated who he was with the information they had collected during the traffic stop.
On Tuesday, officers responded to a car accident in South Austin involving Cantu in a different vehicle. According to APD Chief Manley, the person had a gun turned on himself. The officer on scene tried to talk him down while waiting for backup.
“There was a lot of work down to try and deescalate the situation but what is evident was in that final moment the individual gets up he was in a position on the ground gets us raises both hands in a manner as if he had a weapon in the hand and points in the directions of the officers at which point two officers fired their weapons,” said Manley.
Cantu was taken to the hospital, where he later died
The officers involved in this shooting are officers Luis Camacho and Robert Mattingly. Both officers have been with the department for two years and assigned to southeast / southwest patrol.
As is standard protocol, the officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.
The Austin Police Department is continuing to investigate the shooting.
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