City of Austin
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASERelease Date:
Contact: APD Public Information Office 512-974-5017 Email
The Austin Police Department (APD) continues to investigate the officer-involved shooting that occurred on Thursday, July 20, 2023.
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 within ten business days of its occurrence. APD is working with the Office of Police Oversight and the City of Austin to release this information today. The press release includes links to the relevant audio and video from the ongoing investigation. The Travis-County District Attorney's Office 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 his Department-approved firearm is Officer Adam Reinhart. The Officers who deployed their Department-approved tasers are Officer John Ricker and Officer Arlene Lozano.
Per APD protocol, all three officers have been placed on administrative leave. Officer Adam Reinhart has three years and five months of service, Officer John Ricker has thirteen years and three months of service, and Officer Arlene Lozano is currently in probationary status and has eight months of service with the Department.
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.
At approximately 4:54 a.m., Austin 9-1-1 Communications received a call describing a female banging on an apartment door stating a man was chasing her in the 3600 block of Menchaca Road and requesting police. The caller described a white female wearing blue jean shorts and a turquoise top. The caller said the female was sitting outside his door.
At 4:55 a.m., APD officers were dispatched to the call location, and at approximately 5:00 a.m., they arrived on the scene and began speaking with the female who matched the description in the 9-1-1 call. The female said a man chased her through the apartment complex, and he had a knife. The female described the male subject as a six feet three inches tall, 60-year-old man with gray hair who was last seen wearing navy blue or black basketball shorts with a dark shirt.
At approximately 5:03 a.m., officers communicated over the police radio the man was last observed running west through the apartment complex. The man was later identified as Mr. Woodrome.
At approximately 5:06 a.m., Mr. Woodrome approached the officers in the parking lot of the apartment complex while they were speaking to the female. The male subject walked toward the officer while holding a knife in his hands. Officers began to give commands to Mr. Woodrome to drop the knife.
Officers attempted to de-escalate the situation by continuously giving commands to Mr. Woodrome. He did not comply with the commands and repeatedly yelled at the officers to shoot and kill him. Officer Ricker deployed a Department-approved taser, but the taser deployment was ineffective. Mr. Woodrome continued to move forward in the direction of the officers. Officers continued commands to drop the knife and walked backwards to create more distance between them and Mr. Woodrome. Officer Lozano then deployed a Department-approved taser, and it did not affect Mr. Woodrome. Mr. Woodrome continued to walk toward officers with the knife in his hand. Officer Reinhart discharged his Department-approved firearm toward Mr. Woodrome, at which point he fell to the ground. A knife was located on the ground next to Mr. Woodrome.
Once the scene was made safe by removing the knife, the officers immediately performed life-saving measures and requested medical assistance at the scene. Mr. Woodrome succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene at 5:19 a.m. No other civilians or officers sustained physical injuries.
This incident was captured on four of the officers' body-worn camera videos. Body-worn camera 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:
• One 9-1-1 audio file
• Body-worn camera - Officer Adam Reinhart
• Body-worn camera - Officer Arlene Lozano
• Body-worn camera - Officer John Ricker
• Body-worn camera – Officer Adam Guzman
All of the released materials are available on the Department's YouTube and other social media platforms. The link to the materials is below.
Please click the link here:
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.