AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- The Texas Rangers will assist in the investigation into a deadly officer-involved shooting that happened in southeast Austin last Friday.
Police Chief Brian Manley gave an update Monday afternoon into the shooting that left 42-year old Michael Ramos dead.
Manley said that after conversations with Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore, both agreed to call for the assistance of the Rangers in the investigation, in addition to APD's own investigation.
Austin Police responded to the 2600 block of South Pleasant Valley Road just after 6:30 p.m. Friday night, after a 911 caller reported people in a car doing drugs with one of the subjects with a gun in his hands. The caller also said the man was waving the gun in the air. After a standoff with police, Ramos ignored officers' commands and was hit with a non-lethal beanbag shotgun, at which point he got back into his vehicle and attempted to drive away - before another officer opened fire, shooting him.
Manley said police obtained a search warrant for the vehicle Ramos was driving and police have carried out a search, but would not comment further on what was found, citing the ongoing investigation.
Many officers were present at the scene, Manley said, all of whom have body-worn cameras. Manley said those videos will be released as soon as possible, once their release will no longer impact the investigation.
Manley said Officer Mitchell Pieper, who has been on the force since January of this year, was the officer who fired the less-lethal "bean bag" shot; after Ramos began to drive away, Officer Christopher Taylor fired a rifle. According to APD, Taylor was involved in another officer-involved shooting in Downtown Austin in July 2019
The District Attorney's office says its civil rights unit is investigating the case. Austin Mayor Steve Adler has asked the city's Office of Police Oversight to also look into the case.
