The confrontation was caught on surveillance video. The restaurant owner says the incident was his breaking point after years of neighborhood safety concerns.

AUSTIN, Texas — A South Austin restaurant owner is calling for action to address public safety concerns in his neighborhood after he says a man pointed a gun at his face in his own business parking lot.

The confrontation happened Thursday, Oct. 15, outside Conan’s Pizza South at 2018 W. Stassney Lane. The incident was captured on surveillance video.

This story continues below.

Jeremy Shirk, co-owner of the restaurant, said he remained calm and tried to de-escalate the situation.

“Those worries are always there in the back of your mind, but in situations like that, kind of instinct takes over, and you just kind of go into negotiation mode to de-escalate the situation,” Shirk said.

Shirk said his biggest concern was what would happen to the people who depend on him.

“The biggest worry is, ‘If he’s going to shoot me, who’s going to take care of my businesses?,'” Shirk recalled wondering. “I’ve got 65 people that depend on me to stay alive, and so that was like the biggest worry that I thought about right then and there.”

Police arrest suspect following confrontation

According to the Austin Police Department, officers responded to a report of an aggravated assault at the restaurant at around 4:10 p.m. Thursday.

Police said the caller reported that an unknown man pointed a firearm at him before leaving the building.

Officers located the suspect nearby and took him into custody. Police identified him as 30-year-old Austin J. Shiel, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

No injuries were reported.

Shirk expressed gratitude for APD’s quick response and the officers’ continued work addressing incidents in the neighborhood.

Business owner calls for change after years of safety concerns

Although the confrontation ended without injuries, Shirk said it was his breaking point after years of dealing with what he described as assaults, threats, vandalism and break-ins affecting his businesses.

A third-generation Austinite, Shirk said his family’s ties to South Austin run deep.

“I’m a third-generation Austinite here,” Shirk said. “My father was Crockett. My brother, my son, me, we’re all Crockett. We have watched this neighborhood just deteriorate.”

Shirk said he has repeatedly reported incidents to law enforcement and raised concerns about public safety in the area. He believes more needs to be done to protect local businesses, employees and residents.

“That is not okay. Something has to change,” Shirk said. “And this entire neighborhood is just up in arms and ready to take matters into their own hands.”

KVUE also visited several nearby businesses. Some expressed similar safety concerns but declined to speak on camera.

City council member acknowledges neighborhood safety concerns

Austin City Council Member Ryan Alter, who represents District 5, acknowledged the concerns and said his office has worked with law enforcement and Austin Homeless Strategies to address repeated calls in the area.

In a statement to KVUE, Alter said:

“This was a terrifying situation for the owner and I’m glad that APD was able to respond and take the suspect into custody. My team and I have worked with APD and Austin Homeless Strategies to respond to numerous calls in that area, and while we’ve seen some improvements, this area is not as safe as it should be. We will continue to push for additional resource and solutions that will prevent situations like this from occurring again.”

For Shirk, the incident has reinforced his determination to push for change before someone is seriously hurt.

“As a business owner, it’s my responsibility to put myself between my employees and my customers, you know, put myself in between the crime and them, and I shouldn’t have to worry about getting shot or worse, to open my businesses,” Shirk said.