US

Suspect In Officer-Involved Shooting Had 5 Outstanding Arrest Warrants, Was Out On Bond

REUTERS/Nuri Vallbona

Mary Rooke Commentary and Analysis Writer
Font Size:

The suspect in the officer-involved shooting in Round Rock, Texas, on Wednesday had five outstanding arrest warrants and was out on bond at the time of the incident.

Brandon Louis Marshall faces multiple charges after shooting at law enforcement officers attempting to serve arrest warrants, including evading arrest, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, driving while intoxicated and possession of a firearm by a felon, reported KXAN.

Austin Police Department (APD) was assisting the Texas Department of Public Safety Rangers (DPS) in an attempt to serve Marshall with five outstanding arrest warrants, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Austin Police Chief Joseph Chacon told the press that Marshall fired at the DPS trooper and the APD officers in a convenience store parking lot in Williamson County. The officers then returned fire, injuring Marshall.

“As the trooper near driving that vehicle exited his own vehicle, the suspect began firing from inside of his vehicle at the trooper,” Chacon said. “APD was nearby in the surveillance vehicle. Those officers exited the vehicle, and the DPS trooper and the APD officers returned fire on the suspect.”

Chacon said Marshall was shot during the shootout, which only lasted a few moments before he was taken into custody, and the officers began performing “life-saving measures” on him. Marshall was taken to the hospital in critical condition but has since been transferred to the Williamson County jail.

No officers were harmed during the incident, Chacon said. DPS and the Round Rock Police Department are investigating the shooting. Chacon said there was plenty of footage to review.

All four APD officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave until the investigation concludes.

Marshal has a lengthy criminal history, including burglary and felony drug possession arrests. He was released on bond in April 2021 for unlawful possession of a firearm as a felon and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, reported The Texan. (RELATED: ‘It’s Madness’: An Analysis Of What Progressive Bail Reform Is Doing To American Cities)

Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza recommends relaxed bail and sentencing guidelines for defendants since taking office in January 2021. Since Garza’s policy change Travis County, which includes the City of Austin, has seen a historic spike in homicides.

His office received 118 homicide cases in 2021, causing Garza to request an extra $720,000 in his budget to increase staff to handle the caseload, reported the Austin American Statesman.

Garza’s office is “unable to effectively prepare and prosecute homicides in a manner that ensures the cases will not be overturned on appeal, that there is little to no risk of a wrongful conviction, and that the families get the time and care they need as they process their own grief and trauma,” Garza’s budget proposal stated reported the outlet.