North Austin shooting suspect compared APD to KKK, only wanted to negotiate with FBI: affidavit

AUSTIN, Texas - The suspect in a recent officer-involved shooting in North Austin compared APD to the KKK and only wanted to negotiate with the FBI, according to an arrest affidavit.

36-year-old Gregory Glenn Lane has been charged with first-degree felony attempted capital murder of a peace officer and second-degree felony aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

What happened at the Centro Studio Homes in North Austin?

The backstory:

On Wednesday, Aug. 12 just before 8:30 a.m., Austin officers responded to a gun hotshot call at the Centro Studio Homes in the 800 block of Camino La Costa. 

The caller reported a man had assaulted him and put a pistol to his head. He described his assailant as a Black male in a green or black shirt and black basketball shorts.

An officer responded to the scene and as he was getting out of his patrol vehicle, the suspect fired multiple shots at him from behind another car, then fled south into the complex. A perimeter was set up to keep him from fleeing further.

At about 8:38 a.m., 17 minutes after the initial 911 call, the suspect called 911 and said he was in a shootout with police and was hiding out in an apartment. He told 911 that he had put his gun down and that he wanted to negotiate, but only with the FBI. He also compared APD to the KKK and identified himself as Amaro Tupac and gave his birthday.

APD detectives used the phone number he called from and found it was linked to a man named Gregory Lane with the same birthday.

Forty minutes later, police learned Lane had gotten ahold of the FBI and gave them the same information he gave Austin 911, says the affidavit. He added that he had put the gun inside a bathroom cabinet.

Police surrounded the apartment and continued talking with Lane through the FBI until Lane surrendered, leaving the apartment without his gun, says the affidavit. The gun was later found in a bathroom cabinet via a search warrant.

The victim's story

What they're saying:

The victim told detectives that he had been staying at an AirBnB at the complex and had previously seen Lane in the parking lot. He said he saw Lane again that day and had deliberately looked away as to not engage with him.

The victim said that he saw Lane pacing in the parking lot with his hands out to his side as he drove past him to park. The victim had backed into a spot when Lane approached his driver's side window. A garbage truck pulled in front of him to empty a nearby trash bin, preventing the victim from leaving.

The victim reported that Lane began yelling at him and forcing him to repeat sentences back, like "When this truck moves, I need you to get the f*** out!" Lane continued to get more agitated with the victim, who saw Lane holding a pistol. He said he unknowingly bit his lip, which sparked Lane to become agitated again.

Lane then punched him twice in the head through the open driver's window, then put the gun to his head. The victim told police that Lane continued to try and make him repeat statements, but when the victim made a mistake, Lane would get more irritated. Lane pushed the gun harder into the victim's temple, then pistol whipped him.

As soon as the garbage truck moved, the victim fled the area. Police noted in the affidavit that the victim had redness, swelling, abrasions and was bleeding. The victim also reported a headache and pain in his jaw and face.

Lane's account

The other side:

Lane spoke with detectives at APD, saying that he had worked for DoorDash earlier in the morning, before running an errand and returning home. He said that he was already angry when he saw the victim in the parking lot and approached him, according to the affidavit.

He reportedly said he did not know the victim and had not seen him before. He also admitted to having his gun out during the interaction, punching the victim twice and striking him with the gun, said the affidavit. When asked why he struck the victim, he allegedly said that he knew the victim would call the cops.

He said that after the victim left, he hung around and was behind a dumpster when police arrived. He also claimed that police shot at him first and he returned fire twice, but was shooting at the patrol vehicle.

He said that after the gunfight, he ran to his apartment and hid the gun under the sink and called the FBI. 

A search warrant uncovered a black handgun in a bathroom cabinet.

What's next:

Lane is currently in the Travis County Jail on a collective $200,000 bond.

His bond conditions would require him to have no contact and stay 200 yards away from the victim, not have any firearms or ammunition and wear an electronic monitoring device.

He does not have a court date scheduled yet per county records.