They came with signs and lots of anger toward the Austin Police Department.
Nearly 100 demonstrators were outraged over Thursday's shooting death, Daniel Rocha, 18, by an APD officer.
"We don't want this to happen again, we don't want our youth to be scared, living in their communities, and be scared an officer is going to kill them," Erika Gonzalez, spokesperson for PODER, said.
Officer Julie Schroeder shot Rocha in the back, point blank. She and her partner were part of a Street Response Team responding to calls about drug activity. They pulled over a Suburban with three passengers, including Rocha.
APD said the shooting happened after Rocha picked a fight with Schroeder.
"If you have someone, a criminal thug, who defies law enforcement, what are they doing to general citizens when law enforcement isn't there?" Wuthipong Tantaksinanukij, Vice-President of Austin's Police Association, said.
The Austin Police Association, the officers’ union, stands by Schroeder. They say Rocha was a known troublemaker.
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APD protest
Some Austinites are angry over the police shooting death of a drug suspect.
 
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"It's about choices, the suspect that night, he had a choice, the officer, she did not have a choice," Tantaksinanukij said.
At the time of the traffic stop, officers were aware Rocha had an outstanding warrant for theft.
The protestors see this shooting as an ongoing problem with APD.
"The question is, how many times and how many kids are going to be killed by the police before the city, police, and police chief get serious about preventing it from happening?" Jim Harrington, spokesperson for Texas Civil Rights Project, said.
An ongoing investigation could shed more light on the case. Demonstrators say they just want justice.
An autopsy report listed Rocha’s cause of death as “homicide.” The bullet hit Rocha just under the left shoulder blade and pierced his lungs, aorta and liver, causing massive internal bleeding. The bullet was found lodged between two ribs on the right side of Rocha’s body. The medical examiner also found several bruises and scratches on Rocha along with post-mortem ant bites. A set of black steel knuckles were found in Rocha’s pocket.
