“We’re Calling for Justice”: Austin Community Demands Accountability After Teen’s Death
Newly released body camera footage from the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II has ignited days of grief and anger across Austin, as residents, advocacy groups and elected officials push for accountability from police and prosecutors alike.
Williams was killed early last Friday morning after officers responded to a 911 call reporting a person with a gun near a park on Baden Lane. Police later determined the call had come from Williams’ own phone, and that what officers believed was a firearm was in fact a water bottle. Chief Lisa Davis said the department is investigating the incident as a possible “suicide by cop.”
Three officers — identified as Alexis Cruz, Jake Pitcher and Avery Zucchi — opened fire as Williams raised his hands, and he died at the scene.
The revelations have deepened public frustration.
A vigil held at the park drew flowers, candles and rows of water bottles left in tribute. “We’re calling for justice for Anthoneil,” said Vladimir Herrera of Dare to Struggle ATX, one of several community groups demanding the Travis County District Attorney‘s office bring criminal charges rather than allow the officers to simply remain on administrative leave.
That frustration boiled over Tuesday when protesters attempted to push into the DA’s office, prompting sheriff’s deputies to respond before Williams’ own father intervened to help calm the crowd — a moment community members described as an act of grace amid the family’s grief.
(Photos by Mikala Compton via Facebook)
Austin City Council members have added their voices to the calls for transparency. Councilman Zo Qadri said the footage left him “more questions than answers,” while Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison pointed to the incident as evidence of the need for stronger mental health crisis response. Councilwoman Vanessa Fuentes and others have echoed demands that the department and DA Jose Garza‘s office conduct a fully transparent review.
Rich Heyman is running for City Council in District 9.
(Episode from July 29, 2026)
For now, Williams’ family is left to grieve publicly while awaiting answers, as Austin grapples once again with questions about policing, mental health crises, and trust between its police department and the communities it serves.
Sources:
- KUT: “Austinites demand DA prosecute APD shooting of unarmed teen,” July 2026
- KXAN: “Family identifies 17-year-old killed in APD shooting as community pressure grows for accountability”
- CNN: “Anthoneil Williams II: A Black teen was fatally shot after reporting a possibly armed person,” July 29, 2026
- Yahoo News/Austin American-Statesman: “Austin officer-involved shooting: City council members demand answers in teen’s death”
- CBS Austin (KEYE): “Fatal NE Austin shooting may have been ‘suicide by police,’ Chief Lisa Davis says,” July 24, 2026
Facing a House Judiciary Committee probe over his office’s immigration enforcement policies, District Attorney José Garza will receive up to $60,000 in taxpayer-funded legal representation. Following a closed session Tuesday, Travis County commissioners voted unanimously to retain Washington, D.C.-based firm Miller & Chevalier to assist with the five-year records request. (Austin American-Statesman via MSN)
Parents and students packed a community meeting urging district leaders to rethink a proposal that would close Paredes Middle School just weeks before the first day of school.
“I know closing a school impacts students, families, communities, and staff members. However, this transition allows us to immediately connect students with expanded academic programs, fine arts, athletics, and robust learning environments equipped to accelerate their growth.”
“I have full confidence in the campus leaders and teachers at Bailey and Mendez to make the adjustments needed for both returning and new students. Additionally, teams across Austin ISD, including Academics, Operations, and Talent Strategy, are actively working on transition plans to support affected families and staff. I assure you every current employee will be placed in a position within our district. There will be no reduction in staff or job losses as a result of this consolidation.” — Austin ISD Superintendent Matias Segura
Special Board Voting Meeting: 6 p.m., Thursday, July 30, will take place at the Austin ISD Board Auditorium and will be livestreamed on the Austin ISD Facebook and YouTube.
Austin City Council convenes today at 10 a.m. at City Hall for a budget-focused meeting that will also touch on a slate of proposed city charter changes and a major contract for a city efficiency study.
Budget Takes Center Stage
The meeting opens with a presentation and discussion of the City Manager’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2026-2027, which runs from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
Council members will also consider a resolution setting a maximum proposed property tax rate for the coming fiscal year — one that includes an increase to fund city operations and maintenance. The resolution would schedule a public hearing on the tax rate for August 12 at 10 a.m. at City Hall. Council is careful to note this vote does not set the final tax rate; that action comes later.
Later in the day, at 3 p.m., the council will hold a formal public hearing and can take action on the proposed citywide budget itself, giving residents a chance to weigh in before any final vote.
Charter Amendments Headed to November Ballot
City Clerk items on the agenda would place a lengthy set of proposed charter amendments before voters in a November 3, 2026, special election. Among the more notable proposed changes:
- Strengthening the independence of the Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (ICRC) from Council control, and adjusting how the commission is filled and how it reviews district boundaries.
- Removing the requirement that Council meet at least once a week and that it set its rules by ordinance.
- Shifting the annual adjustment date for campaign contribution and expenditure limits to January 1.
- Requiring initiative and recall-related elections to align with even-year November election dates.
- Raising the signature threshold for recalling a Council Member (other than the Mayor) from 10% to 15% of qualified district voters.
- Giving the Council authority to appoint and remove the City Attorney.
- Aligning the resignation rules for municipal court judges with the Texas Constitution’s standard for other officials.
- Removing City Auditor’s Office appointees and employees from the classified civil service.
- Loosening restrictions on when former officeholders can solicit contributions to pay off old campaign debts, while imposing new contribution limits.
- Requiring an independent affordability and efficiency review before any tax rate increase, with the reviewer identifying potential savings.
- A number of technical, non-substantive cleanup changes to remove outdated or superseded charter language.
Efficiency Study Contract Up for Approval
Also on the agenda: a contract for a comprehensive efficiency study of City departments, requested by the Austin City Auditor’s Office. The council will consider awarding the work to Public Works LLC for an initial three-year term, with options for two one-year extensions, at a cost not to exceed $5.23 million. The city has $200,000 available in the Auditor’s Office current-year budget to get the study started, with funding for later years contingent on future budget approvals — a study that could feed directly into the affordability-review requirement proposed in the charter amendments above.
The council may also enter closed session on any item as permitted under the Texas Open Meetings Act.
Nonprofit leaders in Austin worry budget cuts could unravel the city’s social safety net.
Following months of controversy over the street’s name, the city is officially asking Austinites to weigh in on a possible renaming of the east-west thoroughfare – a process city staff estimate could cost up to $1.2 million. (Austin American-Statesman}
A motorcyclist has died after falling from the southbound Interstate 35 flyover onto Ben White Boulevard during a crash on Wednesday, according to Austin-Travis County EMS.
The Bastrop County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 61-year-old Kelly Ann White, who has been reported missing for at least the past ten days.
Authorities in Williamson County are warning residents of a scam involving jury duty.
Reporte Austin posted video Wednesday of DPS troopers and vested agents making an arrest, very likely related to drugs, on 183 and Anderson Lane. Among the agents, there are also immigration agents.
June was another busy month at Austin’s growing airport.
The Splashpad at Pease Park Conservancy reopens today on a limited schedule after being closed yesterday.
LCRA completed a 305-acre prescribed burn at Gloster Bend Recreation Area in Travis County Tuesday.
WEATHER
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AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
CAMP MABRY
5-DAY FORECAST / AUSTIN, TEXAS
Bexar County sheriff’s deputies seized a stash of illegal narcotics—including methamphetamine and DMT—during a raid on a residence Thursday, July 23, arresting one man without incident.
A joint law enforcement operation led to the capture of an Austin man wanted on a first-degree felony trafficking charge.
Caldwell County Assistant District Attorney Richard Sitton was fired after he and Caldwell County Judge Hoppy Haden entered into separate pre-sale agreements involving their neighboring properties for a possible data center land deal.
Texas power grid officials are warning that statewide electricity demand could nearly double peak levels within six years, driven by a massive influx of data centers, industrial expansion, and rapid population growth. (Texas Tribune)
Residents living along the Nueces River are being urged to prepare for potential flooding as heavy runoff from recent storms in Uvalde and the Hill Country moves downstream. The Texas Division of Emergency Management issued a flood warning Wednesday, urging South Texas communities to take safety precautions before water levels rise further. (Texas Public Radio)
Kerr County is seeking more financial assistance.
Weeks after devastating flooding swept across parts of Texas, many families are still living with the damage. An Austin nonprofit is organizing volunteers.
Weeks after a joint ProPublica-Texas Tribune investigation accused Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ken Paxton of committing voter fraud, a right-wing news blog is flipping the script and alleging his Democratic opponent, James Talarico, is actually the one breaching election laws.
However, documents suggest that’s not the case.
What’s more, Talarico’s campaign argued the report is the latest attempt to smear him as he gains ground in the race for Texas open U.S. Senate seat. (San Antonio Current)
Heavy rains replenished reservoirs and helped Corpus Christi delay a water emergency. We’ll explore how city leaders will use the extra time.
(Episode from July 28, 2026)
Despite a budget surplus in Texas, state leaders are asking some agencies to decrease their budgets.
A routine DPS patrol in Midland County turned into a major multi-agency operation after a trooper’s radiation detector alerted him to a buried radioactive source.
Texas hemp retailers are clearing shelves and changing business models before new state rules classify certain THC products as Schedule I drugs beginning tomorrow.
SPORTS
COWBOYS: Dallas Cowboys training camp is officially underway in Oxnard, and the mood around the team is as high-stakes as ever.
Practice started Wednesday and lasted 90 minutes, with quarterback Dak Prescott arriving in a Super Bowl XXX championship shirt — a nod to the franchise’s last title. Owner Jerry Jones set an ambitious tone at his opening press conference, revealing he discussed a “substantive” move with another team as recently as Monday and insisting he’s willing to give up future draft picks for an impact player as Dallas looks to bolster its defense.
TEXANS: The Houston Texans opened training camp Wednesday at the Houston Methodist Training Center, kicking off preparations for a milestone 25th season with Super Bowl-or-bust expectations hanging over the roster.
Day one already produced a highlight, as first-round pick Keylan Rutledge delivered a standout pancake block on a linebacker during a second-team run period, drawing praise from teammates and coaches alike. Head coach DeMeco Ryans, entering his fourth season at the helm, has a defense returning three All-Pros and three Pro Bowlers, while the offense looks to build around quarterback C.J. Stroud. All-Pro edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. made the team’s expectations clear during OTAs, stating flatly that the goal is to win the Super Bowl.
MLB: Both Texas teams went in opposite directions Wednesday night: the Rangers were shut out 3-0 by the Tampa Bay Rays, while the Astros rallied to beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-4 for their third straight win over LA. Houston now heads home to host Texas in a weekend series starting Friday.
Cam Smith gave Houston the lead with a two-run double in the sixth inning, Yainer Diaz and Jeremy Peña hit solo homers and the Astros beat the Los Angeles Angels 7-4 on Wednesday night for a three-game sweep.
The Astros won for the eighth time in nine games and reach .500 (55-55) for the first time since April 7, when they were 6-6. Houston also pulled within a game of first-place Texas in the American League West. (Associated Press via MSN)
Yandy Diaz and Ryan Vilade homered in the first inning and five pitchers combined for a four-hitter as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Texas Rangers 3-0 on Wednesday night. (Associated Press via MSN)
AL WEST STANDINGS
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas Rangers | 55 | 53 | — |
| 2 | Houston Astros | 55 | 55 | 1.0 |
| 3 | Seattle Mariners | 53 | 56 | 2.5 |
| 4 | Athletics | 45 | 63 | 10.0 |
| 5 | Los Angeles Angels | 42 | 67 | 13.0 |
It’s a tight race at the top — Texas holds a slim edge over Houston, with Seattle just a couple games back. The Athletics and Angels have fallen well off the pace.
37 DAYS UNTIL TEXAS FOOTBALL
The Texas Longhorns’ transfer additions face a defining fall camp—can Laurence Seymore, Juice Cryer, and Michael Masunas step up and fill critical roles for a championship run?
KXAN-TV Meteorologist Kristen Currie wandered through the exhibits at the Austin Zoo to find out how each animal made their way to Austin.
