AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- After more than four days of deliberations, a Travis County jury could not come to a unanimous verdict in the murder trial of Austin Police officer Christopher Taylor.
Judge Dayna Blazey declared the mistrial Wednesday morning. It's the second mistrial in the case, after procedural errors during the first attempt at jury selection earlier this year.
Prosecutors will determine whether Taylor will be retried in the 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos.
Wednesday's mistrial follows more than four days of deliberations by the jury, and more than two weeks of testimony, including several APD officers who were at the scene of Ramos' shooting.
Monday, jurors sent a note telling the court they were having trouble reaching a unanimous verdict. Judge Blazey responded with an "Allen charge", imploring jurors to continue deliberating and to examine their convictions, without violating their conscience and beliefs in the evidence presented.
During the course of deliberations, jurors repeatedly asked questions of the court, including guidance on use-of-force and self-defense issues and testimony presented during the trial.
"We are grateful for our community members who served in the jury for this case," Travis County District Attorney José Garza said in a statement. "We respect the juror's decision and thank them for their service."
"This mistrial will leave just about everyone frustrated, but we can't let this outcome divide our city," Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said in a statement. "The last few days have intensified the community conversation around public safety and policing, and I understand and support everyone's right to make their feelings known and their voices heard. I ask that we express our views and emotions in a way that is safe and constructive to the dialogue that needs to continue."
Officials with CLEAT, the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, said the organization will continue to represent Taylor as long as necessary. "Officers deserve the best legal representation available to them, and we have consistently shown respect for the outcome of jury decisions," the organization said in a statement. "We realize the intricate details of critical incidents combined with the complexity of law enforcement training and legal responsibilities are difficult to process."
