Officer-Involved Shooting in Southeast Austin
Police were attempting to execute drug-related search warrant
By Jordan Smith, Fri., Oct. 26, 2007
At press time, most of the details of the incident were still unknown – including how much time elapsed between the officers knocking on the door and when they entered the house, how much time then elapsed before Rosales fired at the officers. A warrant filed Oct. 22 by homicide detectives tasked with investigating the shooting, asserts that the original search warrant was based on information from a "concerned citizen" who told police that an "eldery Hispanic male" was selling crack out of the Rosales home. The warrant also says that police made two trash runs at the house earlier this month and found plastic bags with a white residue that tested positive for cocaine. Still, detectives did not report finding any drugs in the house after executing the second warrant, although they did seize 15 firearms. Nonetheless, police have charged Rosales with attempted capital murder – presuming that Rosales intended to kill a police officer. Benfer was taken to Brackenridge Hospital, where he was treated and released; Rosales is still in the hospital, where he underwent surgery Monday. Bishop has been placed on administrative leave pending an investigation into the incident, standard procedure in all officer-involved shootings.
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