The Austin Police Department (APD) continues to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 9:50 a.m. in the 1700 block of West William Cannon Drive.  

APD understands the importance of building trust within our community and will continue working diligently to develop a strong and trusting relationship. As per our policy, we share information about a critical incident in a timely manner. APD is working with the Office of Police Oversight (OPO) and the City of Austin to release this information today. The news release includes links to the relevant audio and video from the ongoing investigation. The Travis-County District Attorney's Office and OPO have reviewed the audio and video materials identified for public release. The details provided today are preliminary, as we are very early in the investigation.  
 
The officer who discharged their Department-approved rifle has the following years of service with the Department:

• Officer Joshua Jackson– 7 year, 4 months   

Per APD protocol, the officer has been placed on administrative leave.  
 
APD will conduct two concurrent investigations into this incident: a criminal investigation conducted by the APD Special Investigations Unit in conjunction with the Travis County District Attorney's Office and an administrative investigation conducted by the APD Internal Affairs Unit, with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight.  
 
Transparency and accountability are key elements needed to serve and build relationships within the Austin community. Below is the chain of events related to this critical incident that will help you understand what took place. The details provided are preliminary, as we are very early in the investigation. 

On Saturday, May 17, 2025, at 9:50 a.m., Austin Police Department (APD) officers responded to multiple emergency calls in the 1700 block of West William Cannon Drive. The initial 9-1-1 caller said a male subject in a wheelchair had a black pistol in his lap and was in the roadway. The male subject was later identified as Danny Palomino. Another 9-1-1 caller said the man in the wheelchair pointed a gun at her.  

9-1-1 dispatched multiple officers to the scene and relayed the information from the calls. Officer Jackson arrived on scene at 9:53 a.m. and saw Mr. Palomino in the roadway with a black pistol in his lap. Officer Jackson exited his marked patrol car with his Department-approved rifle. A witness approached Officer Jackson as he exited the patrol car and, referring to Mr. Palomino said: “He has a gun.” Mr. Palomino moved to the sidewalk and turned eastbound, ignoring Officer Jackson’s commands to stop. Officer Jackson followed behind Mr. Palomino, motioning and verbally to bystanders to vacate the area. 

As other officers were responding to the scene, Mr. Palomino turned around to face Officer Jackson. Officer Jackson continued to give commands, telling Mr. Palomino to stop and put his hands up. Mr. Palomino responded by raising a black pistol and pointing it towards Officer Jackson.  

At 9:56 a.m., Officer Jackson fired shots at Mr. Palomino. Mr. Palomino slumped over and an item covering his head fell to the ground. Mr. Palomino sat back up in his chair and Officer Jackson continued to give commands for him to drop the gun, as it was still in his hand. Officer Jackson fired more shots, and Mr. Palomino fell to the ground with the gun. Other officers arrived on scene and approached Mr. Palomino to safely restrain him and provide aid. Officers located a black air pistol that was similar in appearance to a Glock handgun. Mr. Palomino was transported to South Austin Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. 

No other individuals nor the officers were injured in the incident.   
 
This incident was captured on officers' body-worn and in-car dash cameras. It was also captured on bystander cellphone footage. Body-worn camera and other videos do not always capture everything the officer or witnesses saw or experienced during the incident; however, the footage helps us understand what occurred.  

In compliance with state law that prohibits the release of certain information, and to maintain the integrity of the investigation, the materials have been redacted.  
 
The materials include comprehensive footage of the officers' actions and contain graphic content and language. Viewer discretion is advised.

MATERIALS BEING RELEASED:

• Three 9-1-1 calls
• One police radio traffic audio clip
• Officer Joshua Jackson's body-worn camera
• Corporal Mark Foth’s dash camera video
• One witness video
• Witness video in slow motion  
• Two still photos from witness video (pictured below)

All of the released materials are available on the Department's YouTube and other social media platforms. The link to the materials is below.  
  
May 17, 2025 – Critical Incident - YouTube
 

PHOTOS USED IN CONFERENCE:

Anyone with information is encouraged to call APD’s Special Investigation Unit at (512) 974-6840 or Capitol Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. For the Capitol Area Crime Stoppers submission, you may submit a tip online at austincrimestoppers.org. You may remain anonymous.