What a morning in Austin, Texas! A routine patrol turned chaotic when a home invader, 30-year-old Brandon Thompson, decided to break into the wrong house after shooting a police officer and a woman earlier that day.
According to KXAN-TV, it all began bright and early when Senior Police Officer Adam Reinhart was cruising around Zilker Park. He spotted a vehicle flagged as stolen and decided to wait for a tow truck while other officers swept the nearby area.
Things took a dark turn when Reinhart noticed a man and woman emerging from the trees
During a news briefing, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis mentioned how the officer asked both individuals to show their hands. In a shocking moment, the male pulled out a gun and shot the woman in the back of the head and continued firing at the officer.
Thankfully, Reinhart was quick on the draw, returning fire before the suspect made a run for it into the underbrush.
Other officers didn’t waste any time getting Reinhart to the hospital, while another rushed the injured woman, who was also taken in critical condition.
By later that day, authorities managed to spot Thompson near an elementary school in the Barton Hills area. In a frantic chase, he sought refuge in a nearby home—where the homeowner wasn’t going to let him off easy. He took matters into his own hands and shot the intruder.
The good news? Thompson received injuries to his arm and leg but was reported to be in stable condition afterward.
Before the drama unfolded, a text alert from the Austin Police had gone out advising residents to shelter in place. The homeowner credited this notification as a lifesaver for him and his family, saying, “Because of that, I prepared.” But there were some hiccups—it seems the alert had issues and was incorrectly downgraded to just an ‘avoid the area’ note.
Davis expressed her concerns about the flawed alert and promised to dig into why it happened and make sure it wouldn’t be repeated in the future.
