(CNN) — The 911 call placed from the teenager’s phone last week reported a young person who may be brandishing a gun in an Austin, Texas, parking lot.
When officers arrived at a community park early Friday morning, they found 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II, who suddenly appeared to lift his shirt and reach toward his waistband as officers told him to keep his hands up, body camera footage released by police shows.
Williams then raised both hands and extended them, with “his hands positioned together in front of him as if he was pointing a weapon at the officers,” police said in a statement Wednesday, citing a review of footage of the shooting.
Three officers fired multiple rounds as Williams, who is Black, fell to the ground at a playground, video shows. First responders attempted to save his life, but the teenager died at the scene, the Austin Police Department said in a statement.
Williams was unarmed, with a water bottle in his waistband, police later determined.
“All points are indicating that this was a suicide by police,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said at a news conference Friday, noting this remains an active investigation. The initial 911 call was made from Williams’ phone, they added.
The teen’s death has fueled outrage from city officials and community members who are calling for greater police accountability and has reignited a conversation about what mental health support can be provided before deadly force is used. The three officers who opened fire have been placed on administrative leave, per protocol, and the shooting is under investigation, police said.
Police have said the 911 caller was asked whether mental health services were needed and had requested a police response.
“At no point during the call was this identified as a mental health crisis, and the caller disconnected before additional information could be obtained despite callback attempts,” Austin Police said in a statement to CNN affiliate KEYE.
911 call came from teen’s phone, police say
The police department last week released audio of the 911 call, which begins with the dispatcher asking, “Do you need police, fire, EMS or mental health services?”
“Police,” the caller responds.
“I’m looking out my window. There seems to be a kid. It looks like he has a gun … He keeps on messing with his waistband and I seen something in his hands,” the caller reported, according to the audio. “It looks like a firearm but I’m not sure.”
The person was “brandishing” a firearm but was by himself, the caller said, answering questions from dispatch.
Officers who responded located Williams and “attempted to gain compliance by giving verbal commands to keep his hands up and asking him if he was okay,” Davis said.
“Officers are often required to make life or death decisions in seconds,” the police chief added. “This was a rapidly evolving incident.”
Flowers, candles and tributes to Williams poured into the playground at the community park where he was killed. As the community mourns the teenager, his death has also fueled calls for better access to mental health resources for young people.
Since the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, some cities nationwide have heeded calls to reallocate money away from law enforcement and into mental health and social services. Others have shifted the responsibility of responding to non-violent mental health crisis calls to trained civilian programs rather than police, such as Los Angeles and Baltimore.
“This tragedy is a reminder that access to timely mental health and behavioral health care and support can make a meaningful difference for individuals and families facing a crisis,” Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison said in a statement.
Austin police are conducting a criminal investigation with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, as well as an administrative investigation through their internal affairs unit, police said in a news release.
The Travis County District Attorney’s Office told CNN it will conduct an independent review of the shooting after the police department concludes its investigation and turns over evidence.
“Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Anthoneil Williams II. We are committed to ensuring a thorough review,” the office said.
CNN has reached out to the Austin Police Department and Austin mayor’s office for additional comment.
Community outraged over shooting
Over the past few days, a vigil was held to grieve the teenager before he was identified and protesters marched in the city’s downtown to stand in solidarity with Williams’ family and call for accountability.
Some marched to the office of Travis County District Attorney José P. Garza to demand he bring charges against the officers involved in the shooting.
“People are angry,” an attendee who only identified himself as David T. said at the vigil Saturday, according to CNN affiliate KVUE. “People understand there needs to be something done.”
Williams’ friends described the teenager as selfless and a good friend at the vigil over the weekend, according to KVUE.
“It breaks my heart. I’m speechless. Everybody’s broken. It’s like they took a part of me with them when they took him,” said Ameer Alogaili, who described being friends with Williams since they were 11 years old.
Another friend, Santiago Aguirre, said at the vigil Williams always prioritized others no matter what he was going through, according to KVUE.
“With him, it didn’t matter how he was feeling. He always put people first,” Aguirre said.
Some Austin City Council members have released statements on social media calling for a transparent investigation.
“As we debate next year’s budget and ask the public to trust our public safety institutions, that trust will be earned through transparency and accountability,” said Councilman Zo Qadri in a social media post.
The Austin Justice Coalition, a local community group, decried Williams’ killing and called for accountability.
“Every loss of life is heartbreaking. Every family deserves answers,” Austin City Council member José Velásquez said in a statement Saturday. “And our community deserves to know that every possible effort was made to respond with compassion, care, and de-escalation during a mental health crisis.”
Neighbors who live near the site described being unsettled by the police shooting taking place in their community park where children play.
“The footage was disturbing because it hit home,” Jeffrey Metzger told KVUE. “It was right on the jungle gym where my grandchildren play, and we swim in the pool, and I know we’ll be thinking of that.”
Amairelys Flores, who lives across the street from where Williams was killed, said she heard multiple rounds of gunfire early Friday morning, according to KEYE.
Police, she told KEYE, should confirm there is an active threat before using deadly force. “Four a.m., you see a boy right there and what are you gonna do?” Flores said. “Probably, that boy needs help.”
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