July 4 Murder, or Self-Defense?

Jason Roche

An Independence Day dispute over fireworks led to the death of 19-year-old Travis High graduate Devonte Ortiz, who was celebrating the holiday with friends outside of an East Riverside apartment around 1am when 41-year-old Jason Roche approached the group and asked them to stop. When they didn't, Roche (and his father, Dennis) returned – according to an arrest affidavit, to argue with Ortiz, in part by pulling out a handgun and "displaying" it to the teenager. Austin Police obtained cell phone footage confirming that detail, and additional events in the altercation: Roche and Ortiz continued to argue; Roche pursued Ortiz around a parked Nissan sedan; Roche's father briefly intervened and started shoving with Ortiz. Police found an AR-15-style rifle on the ground by the front tire of the Nissan, but Ortiz was unarmed when he was killed. Roche told police that Ortiz had grabbed it from the Nissan "minutes before the shooting" but had placed it on the ground.

Roche said he shot Ortiz in self-defense, but police have video evidence that shows "Ortiz was moving away from the firearm and not lunging toward it." He faces charges of first-degree murder. Meanwhile, the community has rallied around Ortiz's family. The Austin Justice Coalition hosted a memorial last week in his honor, and a GoFundMe page has raised nearly $12,000 since last Friday to cover funeral expenses.