Officer-Involved Shootings in Texas: 2016-2019
In 2015, Texas lawmakers passed legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to file a simple report within 30 days of an officer-involved shooting, whether fatal or not. The reports began to trickle into the Office of the Attorney General (OAG). The law was amended in 2017 to impose potential penalties – up to a $1,000-a-day fine – for agencies that do not properly file their reports.
This report analyzes data pulled from the officer-involved shooting reports reflecting shootings that took place from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2019. In this document, TJI also drills into the shootings of civilians by Texas officers, and the shootings of Texas officers. It reveals findings about the demography of these shootings – including race – as well as characteristics like where the shootings occur, who is more likely to survive a shooting, and more.
Virtual report presentation
TJI presented our report and answered questions via Zoom on Aug. 26, 2020.