Argument between strangers turned deadly Saturday
An argument between two strangers, stemming from threats made against someone’s dog, turned into a deadly shooting at a Southeast Austin apartment complex Saturday, court records show.
Austin police arrested 23-year-old Adam Brown and charged him with murder in the death of an unidentified man, who multiple 911 callers said was homeless, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit.
Brown initially told police that the man had charged after him during an argument, prompting Brown to shoot him. However, witness testimony contradicted Brown’s statement.
Police responded to the shooting Saturday at the Patten West Apartments at 2207 Wickersham Lane at about 9:40 p.m. Multiple 911 callers said that two men were arguing, one of them presumed to be homeless and carrying a stick. A 911 call taker heard a gunshot in the background, followed by a man screaming, according to the affidavit.
Upon arriving at the complex, police spoke with Brown and his girlfriend, Isabel Donovan, who also called 911. During an interview with Detective Christopher Anderson, both Brown and Donovan stated they were coming from a dog park a few hours prior to the shooting.
At that time, they said, their dog began to lunge and bark at the unidentified man, the affidavit said. Brown told police that the man threatened to kill the dog with a knife and at one point also threatened to kill Brown.
Donovan said the man walked across the street and disappeared. She told police they made it back to their apartment and put their dogs inside. Donovan then went to their safe to grab a handgun and noticed it was already gone, the affidavit said.
After returning to their apartment, Donovan said Brown went back outside “pretty quickly,” the affidavit said. Brown then confronted the man, who threw a “large branch” at Brown.
Brown told police that he showed the man, during a heated argument, that he had a gun. Brown then stated that the man threw another branch at him and then picked up what he believed was a rock and charged after Brown. This caused Brown to shoot the man one time, the affidavit said.
The detective then asked if Brown saw a knife, to which he responded it was dark and that he could not see, according to the affidavit.
However, a witness’s testimony contradicted Brown’s story. The witness, only identified as E.M. in the affidavit, told police the man never charged after Brown.
Instead, E.M. told police that Brown told the man, “I have a gun,” to which the man responded, “Shoot me!” The witness then “heard the gunshot and then the unidentified male fell to the ground,” the affidavit said.
Detectives asked E.M. what the man was doing before Brown shot him. The witness said the man was “animatedly talking with his hands” and “yelling angrily” at Brown, noting that he was not holding a branch and never charged after Brown.
Police then arrested Brown and charged him with murder, a first-degree felony. Brown’s bond was set at $150,000. Brown did not appear to be in the Travis County Jail as of Wednesday morning, according to county records.