APD officer whose murder case ended in a hung jury won't be re-tried

AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County District Attorney’s Office said Wednesday a grand jury issued No True Bills in Austin Police Department Officer Christopher Taylor's case in connection with the death of Michael Ramos.

The decision ended the prosecution of the case against Taylor.

The grand jury concluded its review of the case Tuesday, according to the DA’s office.

Taylor was on trial for shooting and killing Ramos in April 2020 during a confrontation Ramos had with police.

The case against Taylor began in December 2020 when Ramos’ mother sued the City of Austin and Taylor in a wrongful death civil lawsuit, which claimed Taylor shot Ramos without justification.

In 2021, a Travis County grand jury returned an indictment for Taylor.

In May 2023, a judge granted the defense’s motion for a mistrial following several snags in the jury selection process. Following the decision, the court changed the process for jury selection, moving to order three panels of 100 potential jurors, as well as moving to a bigger courtroom for jury selection.

In November 2023, the jury in his trial couldn't agree on whether to convict or acquit and it ended with a hung jury and mistrial.

The DA’s office presented the case again to a grand jury Tuesday for consideration of murder and other potential charges; however, the jury returned a no-true bill for all charges.

“We are surprised and disappointed at this result, but we also respect the grand jury's decision and time,” Travis County District Attorney José Garza said. “Our hearts continue to break for the Ramos family, who we know are still grieving.”

KXAN has reached out to Taylor's attorneys and will update this story when we receive a response.

Brianna Hollis contributed to this report.