Austin officer-involved shooting: Suspect now facing first-degree murder charge

AUSTIN, Texas - The suspect at the center of an officer-involved shooting near Zilker Park is now facing a murder charge.

The Latest:

30-year-old Brandon Thompson had been previously charged with first-degree felony attempted capital murder of a peace officer and first-degree felony burglary of a residence.

As of Sept. 17, Thompson is now facing a first-degree felony murder charge. He is currently in custody at the Travis County Jail.

What happened?

What we know:

On Wednesday, September 10, at 3:31 a.m., APD officers were doing a curfew check in the area of Zilker Park.

Officers located a vehicle that was reported stolen in the 700 block of Azie Morton Road and called for the vehicle to be towed.

While some officers left to patrol other areas of the park, Officer Adam Reinhart remained at the scene to wait for the tow truck. When the tow truck driver was preparing to load the vehicle onto the tow truck, he was approached by two subjects claiming that the vehicle was theirs. A short time later, Officer Reinhart approached the subjects as they began to walk into a wooded area.

At 4:10 a.m., Officer Reinhart approached the woodline and identified himself as Austin Police. He gave multiple commands for the subjects to stop and to come out of the woods. Officer Reinhart stated that the subjects were detained and not free to go.

"Come out of the woods, come out of the woods real quick, come over here, you’re detained, you are not free to go," said officer Reinhart in the body cam footage. "Get your hand out of your pocket man."

The female subject, later identified as 30-year-old Kay Smith, began walking towards Officer Reinhart. Officer Reinhart gave commands to a male subject behind Smith, later identified as 30-year-old Brandon Thompson, telling him to get his hands out of his pocket. 

Shortly after, Thompson fired shots, striking Smith in the head and Officer Reinhart in the abdomen. Officer Reinhart returned fire. Thompson fled on foot back into the wooded area, and Officer Reinhart waited for backup.

Approximately two minutes later, additional officers arrived on scene. An APD officer transported Officer Reinhart to a local hospital, and he was treated for his injuries.

Smith was also transported to a local hospital, where she was pronounced brain-dead at 2:57 p.m. the same day.

APD officers, including SWAT, AIR1, and K9, began searching the area for Thompson.

At 7:44 a.m., a suspicious person call came in from the Austin Independent School District Police Department (AISD PD) at Barton Hills Elementary School. Prior to the call, the school was already in a "Secure" status. 

Once Barton Hills Elementary learned that the suspect was near the campus, the campus went into "Lockdown" status. An AISD sergeant recognized the person who had the same description as the suspect involved in the earlier shooting. The sergeant gave verbal commands to the suspect, such as "Stop, get on the ground," however, Thompson continued to run.

APD officers continued to search for Thompson. He was spotted by an APD officer at approximately 7:52 a.m. and fled towards a home in the 2500 block of Homedale Drive.

Thompson kicked open the front door, ran into the house and the homeowner opened fire, striking him in the arm and the leg. Thompson was transported to a local hospital, where he was treated for his injuries.

What you can do:

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Austin Police Department at 512-974-TIPS. 

Tips can also be submitted anonymously through the Capital Area Crime Stoppers Program by visiting austincrimestoppers.org or calling 512-472-8477. 

A reward of up to $1,000 may be available for any information that leads to an arrest.