Austin Police Department Investigates Officer-Involved Shooting Incident
The Austin Police Department (APD) is currently conducting a thorough investigation into an officer-involved shooting that occurred on Thursday, July 20, 2023. In an effort to promote transparency and trust within the community, APD has released preliminary information about the incident, which includes relevant audio and video materials from the ongoing investigation.
The incident involved three officers: Officer Adam Reinhart, who discharged his Department-approved firearm, and Officers John Ricker and Arlene Lozano, who deployed their Department-approved tasers. Following standard protocol, all three officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation. Officer Reinhart has three years and five months of service, Officer Ricker has thirteen years and three months of service, and Officer Lozano is currently in probationary status and has eight months of service with the Department.
To ensure a comprehensive review, APD is conducting two concurrent investigations: a criminal investigation conducted by the APD Special Investigations Unit in collaboration with the Travis County District Attorney’s Office and an administrative investigation overseen by the APD Internal Affairs Unit and the Office of Police Oversight.
According to the information released by APD, the chain of events leading up to the shooting started at approximately 4:54 a.m. when Austin 9-1-1 Communications received a call reporting a female banging on an apartment door, claiming she was being chased by a man in the 3600 block of Menchaca Road. Officers were dispatched to the location at 4:55 a.m. and arrived at approximately 5:00 a.m. to speak with the female, who matched the description provided in the 9-1-1 call.
The female recounted being chased through the apartment complex by a 60-year-old man, described as six feet three inches tall with gray hair, and last seen wearing navy blue or black basketball shorts and a dark shirt. Officers relayed this information over the police radio at approximately 5:03 a.m.
At around 5:06 a.m., the man, later identified as Mr. Woodrome, approached the officers in the apartment complex parking lot while holding a knife. The officers immediately issued commands for him to drop the weapon. Despite attempts to de-escalate the situation, Mr. Woodrome refused to comply with the commands and repeatedly urged the officers to shoot and kill him.
Officer Ricker attempted to use a Department-approved taser, which proved ineffective. Mr. Woodrome continued to advance toward the officers, prompting Officer Lozano to deploy her taser as well, but it had no effect on him. With the threat still imminent, Officer Reinhart discharged his Department-approved firearm towards Mr. Woodrome, who fell to the ground. A knife was found on the ground next to him.
Upon securing the scene by removing the knife, the officers immediately administered life-saving measures and called for medical assistance. However, Mr. Woodrome succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased on the scene at 5:19 a.m. Thankfully, no other civilians or officers sustained physical injuries during the incident.
The entire encounter was captured on the body-worn cameras of four officers present at the scene. However, APD has redacted certain materials in compliance with state law and to maintain the integrity of the ongoing investigation. The released footage contains graphic content and language, and viewer discretion is advised.
MATERIALS BEING RELEASED:
• One 9-1-1 audio file
• Body-worn camera – Officer Adam Reinhart
• Body-worn camera – Officer Arlene Lozano
• Body-worn camera – Officer John Ricker
• Body-worn camera – Officer Adam Guzman
All of the released materials are available on the Department’s YouTube and other social media platforms. The link to the materials is below.
Please click the link here:
Anyone with information is encouraged to call APD’s Special Investigation Unit at (512) 974-6840 or Capitol Area Crime Stoppers at 512-472-8477. For the Capitol Area Crime Stoppers submission, you may submit a tip online at austincrimestoppers.org. You may remain anonymous.
