Austin police kill man suspected of slaying 1 in hotel lobby
Jul 5, 2015, 10:36 AM
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — A man with a rifle who gunned down another person early Sunday in the lobby of a posh downtown Austin hotel was then shot and killed by officers, police said.
The shootings happened shortly before 5 a.m. at the Omni Austin Hotel, about four blocks from the Texas Capitol, assistant police chief Brian Manley said at a news conference.
He said an emergency dispatcher got a call about a man in the hotel lobby “walking around with a gun.” Then, the caller reported seeing the man shoot someone. The dispatcher could hear crying and yelling.
Officers arrived at the hotel to find a man with a rifle. Manley said the man, who appeared to be in his 30s, pointed the gun at the officers and they chased him. He said the man fired several shots inside the hotel, including some at police.
After just a few moments, one of the Austin officers shot and killed the man. Manley said the officer, a member of the police force for five years, was placed on administrative duty pending an investigation — a common practice following officer-related shootings.
The names of the officer and two people killed were not immediately released.
Investigators were interviewing witnesses and collecting evidence Sunday and trying to determine what led to the first shooting.
“It’s a very complicated scene in there,” Manley told news reporters gathered outside the hotel.
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