In the early morning hours of July 24, the Austin Police Department (APD) shot and killed a 17-year-old Black teenager, Anthoneil Williams II, while responding to a call reporting an armed man in an apartment complex parking lot.
The three officers who arrived on scene encountered Williams in a small playground area. They immediately demanded that Williams show his hands. Williams then lifted his shirt to the band of his pants, after which the APD officers fired on him dozens of times. After a few seconds of reprieve, the officers unloaded another barrage of rounds into the teenager, claiming that he was still moving as he lay on the ground.
The police later stated that Williams had no weapons on him, and that he had made the initial phone call to APD earlier that night. A water bottle was discovered in his waistband.
Later that day, APD Chief Lisa Davis held a press conference releasing body camera footage of the shooting. Davis labeled the incident an act of “suicide by police,” and stated that the responding officers are currently placed on administrative leave while the situation is under investigation.
Over the past few years, APD has murdered several unarmed individuals, such as Mike Ramos in 2020 and Alex Gonzales in 2021. In both instances, the cases against the police officers responsible were dropped.
The recent shooting of Williams sparked a protest against the Austin City Council on July 30 as it was preparing to vote on the city budget. The budget proposes a $5.1 million cut in social services and a $25 million increase in police spending.
During the city council meeting, protesters stormed the chambers, causing the session to be paused. Later in the evening, approximately 70 demonstrators rallied outside demanding police accountability and increases to the social services budget.
Friends of the teen, Ameer Alogaili and Joseph Hernandez, spoke at a protest on Tuesday at a local park, repudiating the APD’s narrative about the shooting.
“For somebody to just come kill him and be like, ‘oh, no, he wanted us to kill him,’” said Williams’ friend, “What are you talking about right now?”
“Till the day I die,” Williams’ friend said, “we’re going to stay here fighting for Anthoneil.”
The family has posted a GoFundMe to help cover funeral expenses.
Image: Anthoneil Williams II. Credit: GoFundMe fundraiser started by Anthoneil Williams.
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