Austin police release body cam footage, 911 call audio from in-custody death
AUSTIN, Texas - The Austin Police Department has released new details regarding the death of a man in police custody over the weekend.
APD says 32-year-old Josh Ryan Trumble died on June 6 after an officer fired his Taser at him while other officers were trying to detain him.
Suspect dies after APD officers used Taser on him: police
The Austin Police Department says a male suspect died after being shot by a Taser while being detained by officers. Police are expected to release more details later this week.
Timeline:
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis held a press conference on June 10 to share the sequence of events that led to Trumble's death.
Map of locations involved in this incident (Austin Police Department)
On June 6, around 5:42 p.m., APD had received multiple 911 calls about a white man in a blue shirt and gray shorts who had broken a car window and was attempting to flag down passing cars in the 7700 block of Woodrow Avenue, near Dartmouth Avenue.
Callers reported he was bleeding, had blood on his arms and was sitting in the road behaving erratically. ATCEMS was notified and was responding to the scene.
In the span of 15 minutes, more callers reported seeing that same man near the intersection of Princeton and Woodrow, running through the area with blood on his arms and acting strangely. However, officers were unable to find him during a search and ATCEMS was called off.
About half an hour later, around 6:31 p.m., APD received another call from a resident on Grover Avenue saying someone was trying to break into their home. The homeowner reported hearing banging at the front door and had initially believed someone was trying to kick it in, so he loaded a shotgun.
911 call audio from in-custody death
Austin police have released three 911 calls in connection with the in-custody death of Josh Ryan Trumble. This is a compilation of all three. (Courtesy: Austin Police Department)
More callers reported seeing a now shirtless white man who was bleeding and banging on doors. Within minutes, APD responded and found the man, identified as Trumble, laying in the yard of a home on Grover Avenue.
911 also got another call reporting a burglary that happened shortly before at a home on Woodrow Avenue. Ring camera footage captured a man matching Trumble's description forcing his way into the home, where officers found blood evidence, damage to the front door and a broken window.
Ring camera footage from in-custody death
Austin police have released Ring camera footage related to the in-custody death of Josh Ryan Trumble. (Courtesy: Austin police)
Police found Trumble shirtless with numerous cuts to his body, and when officers approached, they noticed signs he was having a medical or psychological crisis.
Officers issued commands to Trumble to stay on the ground and place his hands behind his back, and Trumble had initially complied, says APD, by rolling onto his stomach and putting his hands behind his head.
Officers then attempted to take him into custody while awaiting EMS, telling other units over the radio that they were detaining him. While Ofc. Benjamin Ye attempted to cuff him, Trumble then pulled his hands under his body and appeared to try and push upward against the officers trying to restrain him.
Police body cam, radio traffic audio
VIEWER DISCRETION ADVISED: Austin police have released body camera footage and police radio traffic audio related to the in-custody death of Josh Ryan Trumble. This video contains both videos and the radio traffic (Courtesy the Austin Police Department)
At that point, Ofc. Justin Wright used his Taser on him and officers were able to handcuff Trumble. However, they noticed he had become unresponsive and tried to find a pulse. When they didn't find one, officers attempted CPR and requested ATCEMS to respond quicker. The incident was then upgraded to a cardiac arrest.
Officers continued CPR until EMS personnel arrived. Lifesaving efforts continued for about 38 minutes before Trumble was pronounced dead at 7:18 p.m.
Dig deeper:
APD has released audio from three 911 calls from that night as well as audio from police radio traffic and footage from the Ring camera and two officers on scene, including the officer who fired his Taser.
Trumble's official cause of death is yet to be determined by the Travis County medical examiner.
Seven officers have been placed on administrative leave pending a criminal and internal investigation:
- Officer Justin Wright – 7 years, 8 months
- Officer Kate Hagemeier – 6 years, 3 months
- Officer Carl Chester – 3 years
- Officer Jeremmy Santos Beltre – 2 years, 8 months
- Officer Calvin Fusilier – 6 years, 11 months
- Officer Gabriella Fekete – 7 years, 8 months
- Officer Benjamin Ye – 9 months
Watch the full press conference with Chief Davis below:
FULL: Austin police on in-custody death
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis spoke on the in-custody death of a man over the weekend. The man died after officers used a Taser on him while detaining him.
What you can do:
Anyone with information or footage from this incident is encouraged to call APD’s Special Investigation Unit at 512-974-6840.
You can also submit a tip anonymously to Capital Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477 or online at austincrimestoppers.org.
The Source: Information in this report comes from the Austin Police Department