[11/18/2025- Austin, TX] — Yesterday, a Travis County judge declared a mistrial Monday evening in the deadly-conduct case against Austin Police Officer Daniel Sanchez after the jury reported it was unable to reach a unanimous decision. After a nine-day trial and approximately 12–14 hours of deliberations, the jury informed the court they were deadlocked. A supplemental Allen charge was given but failed to break the stalemate, and the judge declared a mistrial. The National Center for Police Defense stands firmly with Officer Sanchez and his family. We believe the facts of this case reflect a law-enforcement officer confronted with an immediate, life-threatening scenario, and who acted consistent with his training and duty to protect innocent lives.
At approximately 12:30 a.m. on November 12, 2022, Officer Sanchez responded to a 911 call reporting a man with a rifle firing indiscriminately at a residence in a densely populated neighborhood. The suspect, later identified as Rajan Moonesinghe, was standing on a porch with an AR-15-style rifle pointed at the open door of a house and had already discharged two rounds. Officer Sanchez ordered him to drop the weapon, but when the suspect refused and continued to pose an immediate threat to innocent people nearby, Sanchez fired his duty weapon. Despite life-saving efforts by responding officers, the suspect was later pronounced dead. Nevertheless, a grand jury indicted Officer Sanchez on a third-degree felony charge of deadly conduct — an offense that carries a potential prison sentence of up to 10 years.
We view these charges — brought by José Garza and the Travis County District Attorney’s Office — as nothing less than a witch-hunt against a good officer who was doing his job. That the jury could not make a unanimous decision on this case underscores the complexity of the situation faced by Officer Sanchez.
Because the case ended in mistrial, the prosecution may decide whether to retry the case with a different jury. NCPD hopes this case will now be put to bed, and that prosecutors will choose not to retry Officer Sanchez. He and his family deserve closure, and the law-enforcement community deserves certainty that officers will not be unfairly thrown into the criminal justice meat grinder simply for doing their duty. However, the National Center for Police Defense remains prepared to support Officer Sanchez’s defense moving forward if there is another trial,
The mistrial of Officer Sanchez does serve as a reminder of the profound challenges faced by those charged with the public’s safety, and the need for fairness, support, and respect when the stakes are nothing less than life and death. The National Center for Police Defense continues to stand by Officer Sanchez, and stands ready to serve more officers — because those who protect others deserve protection too.
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About National Center for Police Defense
The National Center for Police Defense, Inc., is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization dedicated to assisting law enforcement officers in their time of need — especially when they face legal crises or injury arising from the performance of duty. We provide financial assistance, resource linkage, and emotional and moral support to help ensure officers receive fair treatment and full access to justice. For more information, visit www.nationalcenterforpolicedefense.com
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