AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has reached a “tentative deal” with Austin police officer Karl Krycia, who was charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of Mauris DeSilva in downtown Austin, according to attorneys representing the DeSilva family in an active civil suit against the city.
Another officer — Christopher Taylor — was also charged in this case. Last year, a jury found Taylor guilty of deadly conduct. Taylor and Krycia had separate cases with separate legal teams. Taylor’s attorneys are going through the appeal process.
On July 31, 2019, multiple people called 911 reporting that DeSilva, 46, was walking around his downtown condo complex with a knife to his throat. Krycia and Taylor ultimately shot and killed DeSilva when they confronted him outside of an elevator with the knife in his hand.
Attorney Jarrod Smith said the deal involves Krycia’s murder charge getting dropped in exchange for the officer learning a form of use-of-force training the City of Austin may adopt down the line. Smith said the deal has not been officially signed off on.
KXAN has reached out to the District Attorney’s Office as well as Krycia’s attorney and will update this story when we receive a response.
“The father and mother of Dr. Mauris DeSilva are dismayed and disappointed that, after a jury convicted Officer Christopher Taylor for the shooting death of their brilliant son—a scientist who was suffering from a mental health crisis—they have now learned that the other officer involved has cut a deal to avoid trial and accountability before a jury of ordinary citizens. The family believes that only a jury can speak truth to the longstanding abuses of police power historically condoned by the City and its Police Department,” Smith said in a statement.
Smith said the lawsuit filed by the DeSilva family against the city has a stay in place because Krycia’s criminal proceedings are still ongoing. Attorneys for the family are trying to lift the stay to move forward with the suit.
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