Witness: Gunman laughed after killing Texas cop
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Witnesses testifying in the trial of a man accused of killing a Texas police office say he admitted to the shooting and laughed.
Former software engineer Brandon Daniel is accused of fatally shooting Austin officer Jaime Padron (HEYE'-may pah-DRONE') after the officer confronted him inside a Walmart store in April 2012. Prosecutors say they'll pursue the death penalty.
The 26-year-old had been reported shoplifting at the Walmart. Store manager Lincoln LeMere told jurors on Tuesday that Daniel giggled after the shooting and told him, "I killed a cop."
Officer Albert Arevalo testified that Daniel stared blankly and spoke in a slurred, lethargic tone. He said Daniel also told him, "I killed a cop."
Daniel's defense attorney says Daniel had taken the anti-anxiety drug Xanax the night of the shooting.
