The Austin Police Department is in the midst of conducting an investigation into an officer-involved shooting that took place on May 31 at the intersection of Research Boulevard, SVRD NB, and North Lamar Boulevard. According to details shared by the APD in a recent news release, the incident began when officers attempted to pull over a vehicle reported as stolen, which resulted in a chase and subsequent shootout that left 18-year-old suspect Devin Guevara injured.
A very brief pursuit ensued after the suspect evaded police, moving dangerously through traffic signals. This led to a collision between the suspect’s vehicle and a cement pillar. Despite the impact, the vehicle continued to flee until a collision with another civilian car brought it to a halt. It was at this juncture that the suspect, identified as Guevara, opened fire on the officers, prompting them to return fire, striking Guevara in the clavicle. Fortunately, no officers were hit during the exchange of gunfire. The information comes from the official APD report.
Following the shooting, the four officers involved were placed on paid administrative leave as per department protocol. They have been identified as Officer Joseph Duesler, Officer Kai Finch, Officer Martin Vela, and Officer Vincent Nguyen, all with less than three years of service with APD. Two parallel investigations are currently ongoing: a criminal probe by APD’s Special Investigations Unit along with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and an internal inquiry by APD’s Internal Affairs, under the watch of the Office of Police Oversight…