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Trial for APD officer who killed man in 2022 begins
The trial for an Austin police officer who shot and killed 30-year-old Raj Moonesinghe in 2022 starts next week.
AUSTIN, Texas - The trial for an Austin police officer who shot and killed a man in 2022 starts next week.
Officer Daniel Sanchez is facing a deadly conduct charge for the shooting death of Raj Moonesinghe.
Officer Sanchez’s trial starts on Monday, Nov. 3.
Death of Raj Moonesinghe
The backstory:
In November 2022, Officer Daniel Sanchez killed 30-year-old Raj Moonesinghe after police got a call about a man pointing a rifle down the street of a neighborhood in South Austin.
When officers arrived, they said they saw Moonesinghe shooting into his home and then Officer Sanchez shot him.
"The bullet holes are not there, the bloodstains are off of the cement. But, you know, every time I walk up here, I see those things, you can't get them out of your mind," Raj’s brother, Mark, told FOX 7 in November 2024.
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Rajan Moonesinghe's family files lawsuit
The family of a man shot to death by Austin police has filed a federal lawsuit against the city and three police officers.
The Austin Police Department cleared Officer Sanchez of any wrongdoing, and he was put back on patrol.
"He clearly presented a lethal threat to Officer Sanchez and, again, based on his training and the law, Officer Sanchez responded appropriately," Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas Executive Director Bob Leonard said.
Dig deeper:
About a year later, Officer Sanchez was indicted on a third-degree felony deadly conduct charge and was put on leave.
"A grand jury determined that Officer Sanchez’s conduct was unlawful," Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza announced in a press conference in December 2023.
"The district attorney's office in prosecuting this case is basically sending a clear signal to all police officers that, regardless of whether you are in the right, that he will prosecute you," Leonard said.
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APD officer indicted in Nov. 2022 shooting
Ofc. Daniel Sanchez has been indicted for third-degree felony deadly conduct for his role in the shooting death of Rajan Moonesinghe in South Austin last year.
Since District Attorney Garza has been in office, more than 25 officers have been indicted, with the majority having their charges dropped.
"I believe that Officer Sanchez is innocent of the charges that he has been accused of. I believe CLEAT is going to provide him with the best legal defense that he can get, and I believe we will prevail at trial," Leonard said.
Last year, the Moonesinghe family filed a 32-page wrongful death lawsuit.
The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis