Story perspectives

Police Release Dash-Cam: Officer Pointing Gun, Then Fired

6/12/2026

Summary

Story summary

Police released dash-cam footage ten months after the parking-garage shooting, showing an officer point his handgun at a cruiser before it fired.
Chief Gene Harris invoked a legal exception to keep the video private for ten months.
Officer Roy Alatorre, who discharged the weapon, has separated from the city.
Mayor Victor Gordo called the behavior unprofessional and backed the chief’s disciplinary decisions.
County officials condemned the attack and offered prayers.

History

Historical Context

The 1991 videotaped beating of Rodney King by LAPD officers sparked national outrage, a $3.8 million civil settlement and the Christopher Commission’s April 1991 reform push, culminating in the 1992 riots after the officers’ acquittal. In 2024, Austin Police Chief Gene Harris invoked an exception to block footage of Officer Roy Alatorre’s shooting, drawing criticism from Mayor Victor Gordo and reviving long-standing transparency debates.

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Story summary

Police released dash-cam footage ten months after the parking-garage shooting, showing an officer point his handgun at a cruiser before it fired.
Chief Gene Harris invoked a legal exception to keep the video private for ten months.
Officer Roy Alatorre, who discharged the weapon, has separated from the city.
Mayor Victor Gordo called the behavior unprofessional and backed the chief’s disciplinary decisions.
County officials condemned the attack and offered prayers.

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