Cop Convicted: Austin Finally Gets One Right!

In a shocker that's rocked the blue wall, Austin PD's Christopher Taylor was slapped with a guilty verdict on Saturday for his deadly dance with a knife-wielding man in 2019. Yep, you read that right—a cop actually got convicted for an on-duty shooting in Travis County. It's a Christmas miracle in October!

Taylor, a decade-long vet of the force, kept his poker face as the unanimous decision dropped on day four of jury deliberations. His lawyer, Doug O'Connell, gave him a little pat on the back—probably the most comfort Taylor's gotten since this whole shebang started.

So, what's the tea? Taylor and his pal Karl Krycia (who's also facing the music for this one) popped over to the Spring Condominiums downtown to chat with Mauris DeSilva, a 46-year-old Sri Lankan brainiac with a history of mental health hiccups. DeSilva was having a standoff with himself, knife to his own throat. Cops rolled up, guns drawn, and as the elevator doors slid open, DeSilva made a move, and bam!, shots fired.

Insert "it me" meme for Taylor right about now.

This isn't Taylor's first rodeo—last year, jurors were deadlocked in his murder trial for the death of Michael Ramos. That case helped fuel Austin's 2020 "defund the police" shindig. Talk about déjà vu!

DA José Garza, who rode the wave of anti-cop sentiment into office, finally bagged a conviction for his civil rights unit. Bet he's doing a little dance in his office right about now.

Taylor's looking at two to 10 years for deadly conduct, a third-degree felony in Texas. His lawyers are already angling for probation, because of course they are.

The DeSilva family's lawyer threw some serious shade at the cops, saying there was "more than enough evidence" that they screwed up royally. Meanwhile, Austin Police Association Prez Michael Bullock whined about the verdict putting the "entire City at risk."

Boohoo, Mikey. Maybe your guys should've thought twice before turning a mental health call into a shootout.

So there you have it, folks. A cop actually got convicted, the DA's patting himself on the back, and the city's bracing for... well, who knows what. Stay tuned—this ain't over yet!

Sources:

• Austin American-Statesman
• KVUE
• KXAN

No lefties were harmed in the making of this article. Probably. 🤫🍿🥤