A grand jury has chosen to charge an Austin police officer in connection with the fatal shooting of a 33-year-old in south Austin in 2022, as reported by multiple law enforcement sources to KXAN on Wednesday.
Who is Daniel Sanchez?
The officer in question, identified as Daniel Sanchez, was placed on administrative leave following the incident, according to police sources. KXAN has independently confirmed the indictment, revealing that Sanchez is now facing a charge of deadly conduct.
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The shooting occurred in November 2022 in the 2200 block of South Third Street, according to the Austin Police Department (APD).
At approximately 12:30 a.m., a 911 call reported a man with a gun, describing him as appearing frightened inside his own home before pointing and firing his rifle. Austin Police released a Ring camera video capturing the incident, showing the man, identified as Rajan David Moonesinghe, outside his home with the rifle, aiming it off-camera, and saying, “Are you sure you want this?” just before firing. In the background, an officer arrives on the scene.
Sanchez verbally instructed Moonesinghe to drop the gun before using his department-approved firearm. Moonesinghe was struck and fell to the ground. The APD stated that officers initiated life-saving measures within a minute, though the released video did not depict these measures.
In a news conference held in June, Moonesinghe’s mother, Ruth, demanded accountability for the involved officer and urged the police to release her son’s belongings, including his cell phone, containing precious photos and memories.
