Family of man fatally shot by police in January announcing lawsuit against APD

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The attorney for the family of Anthony M. Franklin will announce a lawsuit against the Austin Police Department in a news conference Tuesday, according to a news release from Strom Law Firm.

The news conference will begin at 11 a.m. in front of the Austin Federal Courthouse, 501 W. Fifth St., the release said.

Tuesday's conference will feature remarks from Franklin's family and civil rights attorneys Harry Daniels, Bakari Sellers and Nathaniel Mack III, according to the release.

Franklin, 31, was shot by three APD officers who believed he had fired shots in downtown Austin on Jan. 15.

The department later released several videos of the incident and revealed Franklin was shot seconds after he jumped off a porch during a chase.

Attorneys for Franklin’s family released a statement at the time, which stated he was "on the ground crouched in the fetal position when these officers opened fire."

The previously released video shows Franklin dragging himself along the sidewalk and throwing his gun toward a vehicle parked on the street near him. It landed directly in front of him. Officers told him "do not move," and he didn’t.

The video showed officers approaching him and handcuffing him. The videos stopped there, but a release from police said they “immediately began life-saving measures.”

Franklin was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries and later died at the hospital, according to police.

“It was an unlawful killing; [it] wasn’t justified. No matter how you slice it, dice it. Mr. Franklin was on the ground, not posing a threat to anyone at the time he was shot and killed,” attorney Daniels said.

The officers who discharged their department-approved firearms were Officers Kelby Radford, Ryan Rawlins and Jacob Bowman, according to police.

All three officers were put on administrative leave as part of APD protocol. A criminal investigation and an administrative investigation both remain ongoing.