Shots Fired at Code Enforcement & Police
- Code Enforcement Officer Safety Foundation
- Oct 28, 2021
- 2 min read
2021 - Code enforcement personnel and Austin Police officers visited the home to serve the warrant and mow the overgrown lawn.
October 28, 2021
AUSTIN (KXAN) — An Austin Code Department visit off Pinkney Lane in southwest Austin turned violent Wednesday when a man opened fire, but code department officials said there wasn’t a history of aggression or violence at his property.
Code enforcement personnel and Austin Police officers visited the home, located in the 10600 block of Pinkney Lane, after 9 a.m. on Wednesday to serve the warrant and mow the overgrown lawn. Officials said an estimated two code workers and three police officers visited the property.
The visit escalated to a SWAT situation after the resident began firing from inside his home. After hours of de-escalation tactics from APD, crisis negotiators and mental health officers, a fire started inside the home.
The man later exited his garage with “weapons in hand,” Police Chief Joseph Chacon said, before a SWAT officer shot and hit him. He was taken to an area hospital where he later died, officials said.
Now, all that remains is a glimpse into the man’s life that neighbors say kept to himself.
“Minded his own business and appreciated it when everybody minded theirs,” said Grady Preston, who has lived next door since 2008.
The Austin Code Department will flag properties that have exhibited potential threats to workers — either human, animal or environment-related dangers, a department spokesperson said. Any violent or aggressive incidents during code visits are reported to APD.
KXAN found four notices from code enforcement between 2019 and 2021, all for lawn care violations.
Officials said the home had never previously been flagged as a threat in the department’s case management system. However, they said it had been the site of several visits in recent years: two complaints in 2020 and three cases reported in 2021.
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