Brenda Ramos places her hand on a mural of her son, Mike, who was fatally shot by an Austin police officer in 2020.
The murder trial of Christopher Taylor, an Austin police officer who fatally shot Mike Ramos in 2020, begins today. Taylor was one of six police officers who responded to a call about reported drug use at an apartment complex in Southeast Austin in April 2020. Police approached Ramos in the parking lot. He was fatally shot by Taylor when he attempted to flee. Ramos was unarmed.that summer in the wake of George Floyd’s killing.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza, who ran on a platform to investigate and prosecute cases of police misconduct, pursued Taylor's indictment in 2021. His predecessor, Margaret Moore, had declined to take the case before a grand jury.Andrew Weber is a general assignment reporter for KUT, focusing on criminal justice, policing, courts and homelessness in Austin and Travis County. Got a tip? You can email him at aweber@kut.org. Follow him on Twitter @England_Weber.