A grand jury has declined to indict the Austin Police officer that shot and killed Byron Carter Jr. last year, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Carter was killed by officer Nathan Wagner in May 2011. As KUT News previously reported, Wagner and another officer approached Carter and his 16-year old African-American companion on suspicion the pair were casing cars parked in an area just east of downtown. Carter and his friend (unnamed in reports due to his age) then entered a car and attempted to leave.
What happened next is unclear: Police claim the unnamed underage driver intentionally struck Carter’s partner Jeffrey Rodriguez. Moments later, Wagner opened fire on the vehicle, killing Carter with four shots – one of them in the back of the head.
A press conference has been called at the Travis County District Attorney’s office at 11 a.m. KUT will continue reporting on this story as it develops.