The family of Landon Nobles, a man fatally shot by police on Sixth Street in Austin more than a year ago, is suing the Austin Police Department, after eye-witnesses contradict the department’s official narrative.
Conveniently for the department, neither of the cops involved in Nobles’ shooting were wearing body cameras.
Initially, the department’s story was Nobles fired his gun at officers, which prompted two cops responding to shoot him.
But Edmund Skip Nobles, the family’s attorney, told [KXAN](http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/family-of-man-shot-and-killed-by-oficers-on-6th-st-suing-apd/1181655216?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_KXAN_News) he takes issue with the department’s statement given by Chief Brian Manley gave hours after Nobles was fatally shot, because several eye witnesses tell a different tale.
“The officers, as they pursued him, observed that he had a pistol, and, at one point, based on our preliminary investigation and our reports that we’ve been given, the suspect did turn and fire towards our officers,” Manley, who has recently been named the ‘lone finalist’ for chief, said to the press at the time.
Manley was named Interim Chief of Police, effective Dec. 1, filling the vacancy created by the departure of disgraced police chief Art Acevedo, who only vowed to crack down on his corrupt department on his way out of Austin after he arranged a job as chief with Houston police before he resigned in Austin.
But after witness accounts of the Nobles shooting, critics say Manley is up to the same tricks with local media that made Acevedo infamous nationally with statements like “[at least we didn’t rape her](https://www.texasmonthly.com/the-daily-post/austin-police-chief-art-acevedo-had-a-bad-weekend/)” and ultimately led to him being driven out by local officials.
Elvis Ingram, an eye witness to Nobles’ death, said he didn’t see any exchange of gunfire and witnessed the entire incident.
“I didn’t see no exchange of gunfire at all.” Ingram said.
“As he was running on Trinity [Street], an officer picked up a bicycle and threw it at his face and he fell, he tripped and fell over the bike, and when he fell right by my golf cart a pop went off, and he jumped up immediately, and he ran past me.”
Ingram said a pop came from a gun on Nobles, but there was never a gun in his hand or pointed at officers when they shot him.
“[Police] fired four rounds into [Nobles’] back. He was about 25 feet from me when he died,” Ingram explained in an interview with KXAN.
Landon’s cousin, Frankie Nobles, gave a similar story.
“The fact that the police are trying to say that he turned around and started shooting at them that never happened,” said Nobles. “I saw everything as it occurred.”
Interestingly, Austin police have issued a [public statement](http://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/eyewitness-to-deadly-6th-street-shooting-never-saw-nobles-shoot_20180227105917832/994820542) via local media asking anyone who has video of the shooting to contact the department through its various methods of contact.
Although Manley was named the ‘lone finalist’ for chief on April 10.
However, city officials say they are still open to input from the public by posting their comments at [speakupaustin.org/OurNext Chief](https://www.speakupaustin.org/OurNextChief).
