AUSTIN, Texas — The sentencing phase for Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor has officially begun. In early October, a jury found Taylor guilty of deadly conduct for shooting and killing Mauris DeSilva, who was experiencing a mental health crisis at the time, in Downtown Austin in 2019.
Taylor is believed to be the first officer convicted in connection to an on-duty shooting in Travis County. He’s facing anywhere from two to 10 years in prison and the loss of his law enforcement license.
He had the opportunity to decide whether he wanted the judge or the jury to decide his punishment, and he chose the judge.
Now each side, the prosecution and the defense, will get two days to bring in more witnesses and present testimony in front of Judge Dayna Blazey. The prosecution is starting first, with a long list of witnesses they plan to bring in.
The prosecution started Wednesday by bringing in Denzil DeSilva, Mauris DeSilva’s father, to testify about his son’s life and background. Denzil testified that his son was loving, intelligent and very religious.
In cross-examination, Taylor’s defense questioned Denzil DeSilva about his and his son’s religious, Catholic beliefs. They discussed how suicide is deemed to be a cardinal sin in that religion.
Noting that methamphetamine and alcohol were found in Mauris DeSilva’s body after his death, the defense asked Denzil DeSilva if it would have been possible that his son was trying to get an officer to kill him to avoid dying by suicide. State attorneys objected several times, saying the matter was not permissible to talk about because the toxicology report was not admitted as evidence in the trial.
Michael Ramos shooting witnesses testify
During the punishment phase, the state also plans to present an abbreviated version of the Michael Ramos shooting.
Last year, Taylor was on trial for a murder charge in connection to the 2020 shooting of Ramos. The jury was deadlocked, so so prosecutors decided to drop the charges and not retry Taylor in that case.
Taylor’s defense objected several times to the state’s plan to bring up the Ramos case during this sentencing phase because of the outcome of that trial. After several objections and back and forth between the state and defense attorneys and the judge, the state decided to proceed with its first witness in relation to the Ramos case: Brenda Ramos, Michael Ramos’ mother.
She testified about the love she has for her son and the loss it has created not having him anymore. When the defense cross-examined her, they ran through her son’s 19 years of criminal history.
Taylor’s attorney asked Brenda Ramos if she knew that in 22 years, between the ages of 18 and 40, her son was arrested 19 times, with 29 charges, including 19 felonies. She said he was hiding that from her and she didn’t know, but she is his mother no matter what.
The state also plans to bring in several officers in connection to the 2020 Ramos shooting and even the training officer who trained Taylor on using an AR-15.
After the state wraps up its second day of witnesses for the sentencing phase on Thursday, it will be the defense’s turn. Those attorneys are scheduled to present their witnesses on Nov. 25 and 26.