On the morning of July 25, Austin, Texas, police fatally shot 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II after officers who had been dispatched to a 911 call said Williams pulled up his shirt, moved his hand toward his waistband, and then raised both arms in a stance that suggested he was aiming a firearm at them. Police later determined he was carrying no weapon; the only object found on him was a water bottle tucked into his waistband, according to CNN.
Video showed Williams falling to the ground at a park playground as three officers discharged multiple rounds. Despite efforts by first responders, he could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the scene, according to CNN. The officers have been placed on administrative leave, and the shooting is under investigation.
Speaking to reporters, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said the evidence gathered so far suggests Williams deliberately sought a fatal confrontation with officers, a phenomenon known as suicide by police, and disclosed that the 911 call reporting him had originated from his own phone, according to CNN. During the call, the person on the line told dispatchers they had spotted what appeared to be a youth brandishing a gun and asked for officers to be sent to the scene. Although dispatchers offered mental health services as an option, the caller never characterized the situation as a mental health crisis and hung up before providing more information; attempts to call back were unsuccessful, the Austin Police Department told CNN.