A Texas police officer has been charged with murder Thursday morning in connection with a deadly shooting that sparked protests in the Texas capital last year.
A spokesman for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office said the officer, Christopher Taylor, was taken into custody after a grand jury convicted him of the April 24, 24, shooting death of Michael Ramos. He was released at 12:40 a.m. Thursday on 100,000 bonds, according to the sheriff’s office fee.
The county’s top prosecutor said it was the first known homicide charge in a case involving the use of force for a Stin police officer.
Taylor is accused of killing Ramos after authorities responded to a 911 call about a man involved in a drug deal. KXNA, affiliated with NBC, reported that the caller noticed that the person had a gun.
According to Stein American-Statesman, in the video, witnesses to the shooting said Ramos got out of the vehicle, put his hand in the air and told officers to put down their guns when ordered to walk towards them.
Police Chief Brian Manley told the newspaper shortly after the shooting that he returned to the vehicle when officer Michelle Pepper fired a round from a beanbag gun at him. According to police, Ramos closed the car door and started exiting the parking lot when Temor fired his rifle.
The car collided with a parked vehicle, and Ramos was taken to hospital, where he died. He was 42 years old.
No weapons were found, according to investigators.
During the summer, police released their own video, showing Taylor firing at a moving vehicle. At the time, tensions were running high across the country following incidents involving police and black men, which were also captured on video. Ramos is Black and Hispanic.
Protesters in Austin Stein marched in his name and called for charges against Taylor, who was on administrative leave after the shooting. The victim’s mother, Brenda Ramos, falsely filed a death lawsuit against Austin Stein and Taylor City, alleging that Ramos was shot without justification. She could not be reached for comment.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said during a virtual press conference Thursday that Taylor’s accusation is “an important step toward justice for the Ramos family and our community.”
“My heart continues to break for the Ramos family and there is still a lot of work ahead of us, but we know that being responsible for enforcing the law is important to restore the trust of our community and ensure its safety.”
In a statement to NBC News on Thursday, Taylor’s attorneys said they were “disappointed, but unfortunately not surprised” by their client’s allegations.
“In early July last year, DA candidate Jose Garza made up his mind that Tay Fister Taylor had committed a crime and implicitly promised to convict him for several months before he was elected district attorney or received months of evidence. Evidence of any case,” Kane said. “… We will remind Mr. Garza not to be a party advocate for months before he knows the facts of his oath. It remains to be seen whether justice will be done,” Erwin and Doug O’Connell said in a statement.
“Today’s accusation is not justice; It’s the fulfillment of a campaign’s talking point and even more evidence of the Antipolis Bias. We look forward to presenting the facts of this case, in their entirety, behind closed doors and not under its exclusive control, before a panel of citizens. “
