Tyler Hunkin, a 29-year-old man from Austin, Texas, died on April 22, 2016. He was shot and killed by an Austin police officer, Matthew Paredes, after allegedly charging at the officer with two knives in his hands. The incident occurred in the parking lot of a Randall’s grocery store in South Austin. According to police reports, Hunkin had been threatening people with the knives at three separate locations before the shooting.
The case was investigated by the Austin Police
Department’s Internal Affairs Unit, the police monitor, the department’s Special Investigation Unit, and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office. The incident was also reviewed by a Travis County Grand Jury, which decided not to press charges against Officer Paredes. Police Chief Art Acevedo described the incident as a probable "suicide by cop," suggesting that Hunkin may have intended to provoke the officer into shooting him.
Hunkin had a history of legal troubles, including a recent stint in the Travis County Jail for driving with an invalid license. He was scheduled to appear in court the following month for this offense. Despite the tragic outcome, the officer involved, Matthew Paredes, who had been with the Austin Police Department for four-and-a-half years, was not charged with any wrongdoing.
The shooting sparked discussions about police use of force and the mental health of individuals involved in such incidents. The community and Hunkin's family were left to grapple with the loss and the circumstances surrounding his death.
