Two other Austin police officers have died in line-of-duty shootings since 2000

An Austin police officer has died after a shooting in South Austin Saturday morning, two top city leaders confirm, marking the first time in a decade an Austin officer has been killed in a line of duty shooting.
Chase Rogers

Austin American-Statesman
Vicky Camarillo, Austin American-Statesman
November 11, 2023

An Austin police officer has died after a shooting in South Austin Saturday morning, marking the first time in a decade an Austin officer has been killed in a line-of-duty shooting.

A second officer was also shot and taken to Dell Seton Medical Center.

The shooting happened around 4:30 a.m. off Westgate Boulevard, south of U.S. 290 and east of Mopac (Loop 1), and the nature of the call is not yet known. Preliminary information is that it has resulted in a SWAT situation. 

The most recent incidents of Austin police officers succumbing to shootings on duty came in 2012 and in 2000. Others have died while on duty more recently of other causes, including vehicle crashes, COVID-19 complications and a heart attack.

Here’s more about the two previous shootings of police officers before that of Nov. 11, 2023.

Officer Jaime Padron shot by 'intoxicated, suspicious' man at Walmart near Interstate 35

On April 6, 2012, senior police officer Jaime Padron, 40, was shot and killed after responding to a Walmart store on the I-35 frontage road to investigate reports of an intoxicated, suspicious man, according to the Austin Police Department. The suspect, then-24-year-old Brandon Daniel, immediately attempted to flee on foot, but Padron tackled him and they both fell to the floor. 

During the ensuing struggle, Daniel produced a small handgun from his pocket, shot Padron and then fired at the store employees. 

As Padron lay wounded, two employees tackled Daniel, held him down and used Padron’s radio to notify dispatchers of the shooting. 

Jamie Padron 
Autin American-Statesman

About 5,000 people attended Padron’s funeral at Shoreline Church, the American-Statesman previously reported.

Daniel, a software engineer, was found guilty of capital murder in 2014 and was sentenced to death.

In 2021, Daniel was found dead in his cell on Texas death row. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said foul play did not appear to be the cause.

Officer William DeWayne Jones Sr. fatally shot during traffic stop at Zilker Park

On May 28, 2000, Officer William Jones was shot and killed while conducting a traffic stop at Zilker Park, according to the Austin Police Department. Jones was speaking with the driver of the vehicle when the driver opened fire, striking him in the chest twice and the neck once. Jones, who was not wearing a vest, was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. 

More than 200 youth soccer teams were attending an international soccer tournament at the park at the time of the shooting. 

The suspect, whom the Austin Police Department website does not identify, fled the scene, but was spotted several hours later near Houston. After a short chase, the suspect killed himself. He had already served time in prison and was wanted by another jurisdiction for sexual assault.