Officers who killed Austin gunman won't face charges despite "accounts to the contrary," DA says "accounts to the contrary," DA says amid political backlash

The officers who shot and killed the man who gunned down people enjoying a night out in Austin will not face a grand jury hearing, despite initial confusion over the district attorney's policy of sending all police shootings to a grand jury for review. In:

The officers who shot and killed the man who gunned down people enjoying a night out in Austin will not face a grand jury hearing, despite initial confusion over the district attorney's policy of sending all police shootings to a grand jury for review.

Travis County DA Jose Garza said Tuesday that suggestions that he would seek charges in the killing were "intentionally false" and political in nature, calling the officers heroes. "It should go without saying that my office is not seeking any charges and would not seek charges," he said. "The accounts to the contrary are false, intentionally false, and are being peddled for obvious political reasons."

His statement came on the heels of political backlash, as Republican lawmakers reacted to news that lawyer Douglas O'Connell had been retained by the Austin Police Association to see the three officers through a potential grand jury probe.

"This… is INSANE," Sen. Ted Cruz posted to X.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott chimed in to decry the DA's policy: "These police officers are heroes who saved lives. Whatever the DA does, I will have the final say in the fate of these officers," he posted to X on Tuesday.