The prosecution has rested its case against Austin Police Officer Daniel Sanchez, who stands accused of felony deadly conduct in the 2022 shooting of tech entrepreneur Rajan Moonesinghe. During the trial on Monday, the prosecution utilized advanced forensic technology to reconstruct the fatal encounter between Sanchez and Moonesinghe. A particular point of focus for the expert witnesses was how quickly Sanchez fired his weapon after commanding Moonesinghe to drop his gun. According to CBS Austin, the digital and multimedia evidence expert Kypros Stavrou testified that “It was less than a half a second” before Sanchez began shooting, with the first three shots occurring within “approximately 1.6 seconds.”
In an emotionally charged testimony, Ruth Moonesinghe, the victim’s mother, spoke of her son’s right to bear arms, despite her personal fears. “I think he had the right to have the gun,” Ruth Moonesinghe said, “I am afraid of guns, but I don’t tell other people what they have the right to do,” in a statement obtained by CBS Austin. The trial also shed light on Moonesinghe’s toxicology report, which revealed the use of cocaine and alcohol, with a blood alcohol content level of .33, a detail that Dr. Lucas Wieck, a Travis County Deputy Medical Examiner, noted could be dangerous.
FOX 7 Austin reported that Moonesinghe, remembered fondly by his family as their “little baby,” was tragically killed when Sanchez fired his weapon five times. The defense attorney inquired about Moonesinghe possessing a rifle, to which Ruth responded, emphasizing her belief in individual rights while expressing her discomfort with firearms. Moonesinghe’s brothers and a number of friends and family members attended the proceedings, marking a solemn reminder of the tragedy that unfolded…