The 17-year-old fatally shot by Austin police last week during what authorities believe was a mental health crisis was Anthoneil Williams II, the teenager’s father confirmed Monday.
Williams was killed early Friday after police responded to a 911 call reporting a young male possibly brandishing a gun at a neighborhood park in Northeast Austin. Investigators later determined that Williams had made the call himself shortly before officers arrived, police said.
Body-camera footage released later that day showed officers opening fire on the teenager near a playground after he ignored orders to show his hands and lifted his shirt to reach toward his waistband. Police later confirmed Williams was unarmed and had a water bottle tucked into his waistband.
The Austin Police Department hasn’t formally named the teenager. Spokesperson Lisa Cortinas declined to confirm his identity Monday, saying the Travis County medical examiner had not completed a formal positive identification. Travis County spokesperson Hector Nieto said the medical examiner declined to release more information about the case.
Williams’ father, Anthoneil Williams, confirmed Monday that his son was the teenager killed by police but declined to comment further. The elder Williams started an online fundraiser Sunday to help cover funeral costs.
Activist Cluren Williams, who said he consults with families in police brutality cases, said he met the elder Williams at a vigil Saturday night in the park where the shooting occurred and is now helping the family navigate the aftermath.
“The family is devastated,” Cluren Williams said. “This is a tragedy that should never have happened.”
Police Chief Lisa Davis has said investigators believe the shooting was consistent with a “suicide-by-cop” incident. She also has defended the responding officers, saying they were expecting to encounter an armed person.
According to an audio recording of the 911 call, the teenager specifically requested a police response despite being offered a mental health option by the dispatcher.
Still, advocates have questioned why a mental health clinician was not sent to the scene.
“Instead of sending crisis responders and mental health professionals trained in de-escalation, APD killed a boy,” Chantel Pridgon, an advocate with community organization Grassroots Leadership, said in a written statement.
Austin operates mental health co-response programs that pair police officers with clinicians, but those teams are available only during limited hours and in portions of the city rather than around the clock citywide.
The three officers involved in the incident have been placed on administrative leave under department policy. The shooting is being investigated by the Austin Police Department’s Special Investigations Unit and the department’s Internal Affairs Unit with oversight from the Office of Police Oversight.