Suspect in officer-involved shooting dies, found to be holding BB gun

A suspect has died after being shot by police responding to a family violence call at a northeast El Paso home. Police say 33 year-old Arthur R. Williams Jr. was shot by two officers as he ran out of the house on the 10900 block of Dizzy Dean towards them, waving what appeared to be a handgun and ignoring commands to drop it. After the officers shot and disarmed Williams, the handgun was found to be a BB gun.

Williams was taken to University Medical Center where he later died. The two officers are an 11 year veteran of the force and a new officer with 3 months on the job. Their names have not been released. They were part of the response from the Northeast Regional Command Center to the family violence call. Police say that Williams’s mother called 911 and reported shots were fired inside the home.

Crimes Against Persons, Texas Rangers and the El Paso Police Department’s Shooting Review Team are conducting investigations. The officers involved have been placed on administrative leave.