Police: Man killed in police shooting ID’d

Austin police on Wednesday identified a man they said lunged at officers with a pickax before officers shot and killed him.

Victor Ancira, a 46-yearold man who family members described as mentally ill, was shot and killed by officers on March 7 outside an East Austin home in the 4800 block of Tanney Street.

Police responded at 4:18 a.m. to a 911 call from a man claiming he had killed his father and brother and that police could “find the bodies and the murder weapon inside the residence.”

When officers arrived, they found Ancira in the street carrying a pickax, police said. Officers initially kept their distance and used a megaphone to try to persuade him to disarm and surrender, he said.

After 10 minutes of negotiations, police used impact munitions as a less-lethal means of stopping the man as he moved back toward the home, police said. However, he used an outdoor chair to block the rounds. Police video footage showed officers had also used a stun gun to stop him, police said.

Then Ancira raised the pickax and moved quickly toward the police officers, who then fired several shots, causing him to fall in the driveway, police said.

When police entered the Tanney Street home, they did not find anyone injured inside, but they did find what appeared to be a suicide note posted to the door, police said.

Austin police on Wednesday identified the officers who were involved in the shooting as William Johns, Gavin Smart, Michael Rowland, Bryan McCulloch and Timothy Skeen. Other officers who were also involved but used less-lethal force were Bradley Hoover, Jason Meurer and Michael Rauert.

As is standard protocol, these officers have been placed on paid administrative leave.