Officer-Involved Shooting on Georgetown Square: What Police Chief Cory Tchida Has Confirmed
The Georgetown Police Department is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred Saturday afternoon in the 100 block of W. 7th Street, on the Georgetown Square. Police Chief Cory Tchida addressed the incident directly with media on scene Saturday afternoon.
According to Chief Tchida, officers were dispatched at approximately 12:49 p.m. for a suspicious person call. Callers reported that a male subject was acting erratically and jumping on vehicles, including cars that were passing by. Officers arrived on scene at approximately 12:55 p.m. and located a subject matching the description given in the call. Chief Tchida said the subject was immediately confrontational and advanced toward officers.
Chief Tchida stressed that the information released so far is preliminary, as the involved officers are still being interviewed. Based on the department’s current understanding, the subject indicated to officers that he had a gun and reached for his waistband. Officers determined he did not have a gun in his waistband, but he continued to advance, and officers went hands-on. The struggle went to the ground, involved at least four officers, and became, in Chief Tchida’s words, “extremely violent.” During the struggle, the subject attempted to remove a handgun from one of the officers’ holsters. Chief Tchida said it is unclear whether the gun was fully removed from the holster before a shot was heard. Officers then broke contact, and one officer fired their weapon, striking the subject.
Officers immediately began providing medical care to the man. He was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Chief Tchida said the exact number of shots fired has not yet been determined and will be established through the investigation, including a review of body camera footage and shell casing evidence.
Speculation circulated online Saturday suggesting an active-shooter situation on the Square. Chief Tchida said he did not know the origin of those reports, speculating that bystanders may have heard the gunshot and assumed the worst. He said the department moved quickly to clarify there was no active shooter and no threat to the public beyond the immediate time of the incident.
Chief Tchida said the investigation remains in its early stages. Body camera footage and any video from bystanders will need to be reviewed to determine the exact nature of the struggle. He noted the Square was busy for a Saturday afternoon and that investigators anticipate interviewing a significant number of witnesses, which is expected to extend the investigation’s timeline.
On the department’s use of force, Chief Tchida said officers are trained on when force is and is not appropriate, and must act in tense, uncertain moments. He said that, based on what is known so far, officers used the level of force the situation required, though the investigation is ongoing. Toxicology information for the man who died will be determined through an autopsy, according to Chief Tchida.
The officer involved is physically uninjured. Chief Tchida said the department’s focus in the coming days will include supporting the officer’s mental well-being, noting the psychological impact of using deadly force.
Chief Tchida, who has been with the department for roughly 30 years, said this is the first officer-involved shooting he’s aware of on the Georgetown Square. He said the department has not had a fatal officer-involved shooting since 2020.
The Texas Rangers are leading the investigation, with assistance from the Georgetown Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division. The identities of the man who died and the officers involved have not been released; GPD says that information will come once required notifications are complete.
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