Unarmed Texas Teen Found Lying Naked Is Shot Dead by Police

An unarmed teenager who was lying naked in an Austin, Texas, street on Monday was shot dead after he charged an officer who approached him, police said Tuesday.

The victim was identified as David Joseph, 17, Austin police chief of staff Brian Manley said at a press conference. The officer who shot Joseph was Geoffrey Freeman, a 10-year veteran of the force. Both the shooter and the victim were African-American.

Manley said Freeman had responded to reports of a black male chasing another subject through an apartment complex in the 300 block of East Yager Lane at 9:57 a.m. on Monday. Freeman did not locate the suspect, but soon after, police received another call from the 1200 block of Natures Bend.

Freeman responded in his patrol car and saw Joseph lying naked in the street. When Freeman exited his car and approached, Joseph charged at Freeman, police said – and the officer opened fire, killing the teenager.

Manley said Austin police have launched two investigations into the incident – an internal investigation to see if Freeman followed proper departmental procedure, and a criminal investigation to see if he broke the law.

It was not immediately clear why Joseph was naked. City council member Ora Houston, whose district includes the area where he was shot, told the Austin American-Statesman that initial reports suggested Joseph was experiencing a mental or behavioral crisis.

"How much of a threat could a boy pose to police under those circumstances?" Scott Medlock, an attorney for the Joseph family, told the paper. "His mother wants to know why this happened, why her son would be found in this state and why they would respond by shooting him."

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In a statement, Joseph's family said they were "shocked and saddened that he was taken from us in an unexpected and violent way, and are struggling to understand how our child was stolen from us by the police."

"We want a full and fair investigation into what led Officer Freeman to kill David," the family said. "David had no weapon. We do not know what led to his meeting with Officer Freeman, but we know that our David should not have been taken away from us. No family should have to suffer like we are today."

Freeman's car did have a dash cam, but the shooting occurred outside the frame, Manley said.

"Anytime there is a life lost, we do view this as a tragic event at the department. Our hearts go out to his family for their loss," said Manley.

Two friends of Joseph's, Samone Morales and Michelle Aguoru, told KXAN-TV that Joseph was a smart kid who posed no threat to anyone.

"I don't understand why he was naked, and why [police] felt the need to shoot him if he didn't have any weapons," Morales said.

"He was very smart. That's really what I want people to know about him," said Aguoru. "It makes me really upset to think from on the outside looking in they're gonna think he's some thug. Whatever was wrong, that's not how he usually is and he knows better."

Nelson Linder, president of the NAACP in Austin, said Joseph's shooting is part of a pattern, reports KTBC-TV.

"We see a rush to judgment and as a result, somebody is dead. Normally it's always somebody black, in this city and this country," Linder said.