AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Travis County District Attorney’s Office has reached a “tentative agreement” with Austin Police Officer Carl Crescia, who has been charged with murder in the 2019 shooting death of Maurice DeSilva in downtown Austin, according to attorneys representing DeSilva’s family in an active civil lawsuit against the city.
Another officer – Christopher Taylor – was also charged in the case. Last year, a jury found Taylor guilty of deadly conduct. Taylor and Kresia had separate cases with separate legal teams. Taylor’s lawyers are conducting the appeals process.
On July 31, 2019, several people called 911 to report that DeSilva, 46, was wandering around his downtown apartment complex with a knife at his throat. Cresia and Taylor eventually shot and killed DeSilva when they confronted him outside the elevator with the knife in his hand.
The deal includes dropping the murder charge against Cresia in exchange for the officer learning a form of use-of-force training that the city of Austin may adopt in the future, attorney Jarrod Smith said. Smith said the deal has not been officially signed.
KXAN has reached out to the District Attorney’s Office as well as Krycia’s attorney and will update this story when we hear back.
“The father and mother of Dr. Maurice DeSilva are appalled and disappointed that after a jury convicted Officer Christopher Taylor for the fatal shooting of their remarkable son — a scientist who was experiencing a mental health crisis — they now learn that the other officer involved has made a deal to avoid trial and accountability before a jury of private citizens. “The family believes that only a jury can tell the truth about long-standing abuses of police authority that the city and the police department have historically overlooked,” Smith said in a statement.
Smith said the DeSilva family’s lawsuit against the city remains active because Cresia’s criminal proceedings are still ongoing. The family’s lawyers are trying to lift the stay to move forward with the lawsuit.