A teenager is dead after being shot by an Austin Police officer on Monday. The 18-year-old was reportedly naked and acting erratically prior to the shooting. Now, the president of Austin’s NAACP is questioning whether this morning’s shooting was legal.
It’s a situation that NAACP President Nelson Linder says keeps being repeated, instead of fixed.
“We see a rush to judgment and as a result, somebody is dead. Normally it’s always somebody black, in this city and this country,” says Nelson Linder, NAACP President.
The Austin Police Department says they received multiple calls Monday morning of what appeared to be an 18-year-old black man acting erratically and aggressively. He was in the 12000 block of Nature’s Bend.
“My partner saw someone wandering around in front of the house,” says Erik Bremer, neighbor.
When an officer arrived, the teen was reportedly naked in the middle of the street. APD has still not said if he was armed at the time. Part of the incident was captured on dash camera video.
“The subject did not comply with the commands that the officer was giving and instead, charged the officer. The officer gives repeated commands to stop and additional commands, but the subject did not comply. The incident then goes off the frame but you can hear continued commands from the officers. Then ultimately, you can hear shots being fired,” says Asst. Chief Brian Manley, Austin Police Department.
The teen later died at Round Rock Medical Center. It’s something that Linder can’t comprehend.
“I don’t see how a young man who’s naked, and not hurting anybody, winds up being dead. When in reality, those things require constraint and understanding, as opposed to deadly force,” says Linder.
APD says there was no indication that a taser was used. It’s concerning for some residents who live nearby. Myneeka Holloway says she heard about the teen in a Facebook post and wanted to make sure he was okay. By the time she went outside, it was too late.
“I don’t know why a taser wasn’t used. I just get worried. We’re trying for kids and we want a son, so I just hope everything was handled properly,” says Myneeka Holloway, neighbor.
The officer involved in the incident has been with the Austin Police Department for more than 10 years. He has been put on administrative leave, which is standard protocol.
“The question is, how do you address your policy now? If it allows this kind of shooting, it’s not of value. The problem with these shootings is often times APD, they don’t appear to enforce their own policies. If that’s the case we have a major problem because if you have a policy and don’t follow it, then what good is it?” says Linder.
Read more and see the video on FOX5 Atlanta News
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