Overview
- Police shot a 17-year-old at a Northeast Austin park after responding to a 911 report of a young person with a gun on July 24; the teen was later identified by his family as Anthoneil Williams II.
- APD-released body-camera and playground video show officers firing after Williams lifted his shirt and reached toward his waistband, and investigators later found the object was a water bottle.
- Officials say the initial 911 call was placed from Williams’s own phone and the department has called the encounter a possible suicide-by-cop scenario.
- The three officers who fired — Alexis Cruz, Jake Pitcher and Avery Zucchi — have been placed on administrative leave while APD’s Special Investigations Unit, Internal Affairs and the Travis County DA’s office review the case.
- Friends and activists have marched to the DA’s office to demand prosecution and greater transparency, and local leaders are urging expanded mental‑health co‑response capacity and clearer rules for crisis calls.