Austin Police Respond to Welfare Check Call Leading to Officer-Involved Shooting

Austin Police Department officers fatally shot a person following a welfare check request on the afternoon of May 14, 2024, in North Austin. According to the Austin Police Department (APD), emergency dispatchers received a call at approximately 3:11 p.m. requesting a welfare check on an individual. Upon arrival at the scene, the situation escalated, resulting in officers discharging their weapons.

What happened during the welfare check?

Officers arrived at a residence in the 900 block of W. Rundberg Lane shortly after the 911 call. Official reports from the Austin Police Department indicate that as officers made contact with the individual, an encounter occurred that led at least one officer to open fire. The identity of the individual has not been released pending notification of next of kin. No officers were injured during the incident, which occurred in a high-density residential area of the city.

How does the investigation proceed?

The investigation into the shooting is being handled under a dual-track process standard for officer-involved incidents in Austin. According to APD policy, the Special Investigations Unit conducts a criminal investigation in conjunction with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. Simultaneously, the Office of Police Oversight and the department’s Internal Affairs unit conduct a separate administrative review to determine if the officers involved complied with departmental use-of-force policies.

The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure following a shooting. The department is expected to release body-worn camera footage of the incident within 10 business days, adhering to the city’s established transparency protocols for critical incidents.

Why are welfare checks high-risk for police?

Welfare checks remain one of the most unpredictable types of calls for law enforcement agencies nationwide. Unlike a pre-planned arrest or a traffic stop, a welfare check often begins with limited information regarding the mental state or potential threats posed by the individual in question.

• Uncertainty: Officers often arrive at a scene without knowing if the subject is experiencing a medical emergency, a mental health crisis, or a domestic disturbance.
• Escalation: The presence of armed law enforcement can sometimes trigger a “fight or flight” response in individuals already in distress, according to research from the Police Executive Research Forum.
• Policy Shifts: Many departments, including Austin’s, have debated integrating mental health clinicians into dispatch or response teams to de-escalate these encounters before a lethal force situation arises.

Status of the investigation

As of May 2024, the investigation remains active. The Travis County District Attorney’s office will eventually present the findings to a grand jury, which is the standard mechanism for reviewing police-involved fatalities in the jurisdiction. The community continues to monitor the situation as the department prepares to release the video evidence, which will provide the public with a clearer view of the seconds leading up to the shooting.