AUSTIN, Texas – A former deputy for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office who is accused of fatally shooting three people in Austin has been arrested after an hours-long manhunt, according to police.
Manor Police Chief Ryan Phipps said Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, was arrested without incident just before 7 a.m. Monday in the Manor area.
Two 911 callers had reported a man matching Broderick’s description was seen alongside Old Kimbro Road near U.S. 290, prompting officers to conduct a “high-risk stop,” police said.
Dashcam footage provided by the Manor Police Department shows Broderick walking on the road as officers tell him to show his hands. The suspect complied as officers took him into custody and removed a loaded pistol from his waistband.
(You can watch the dashcam video in the video player at the top of this article.)
Broderick was transported by the Travis County Sheriff’s Office to jail in downtown Austin.
Authorities had been searching for Broderick after three people — two women and one man — were found injured with gunshot wounds before noon Sunday at an apartment complex in the 9600 block of Great Hills Trail, in the Arboretum area.
They were pronounced dead at the scene, according to officials.
The suspect and the victims knew each other, and the shooting was deemed as a domestic incident, police said Sunday.
Two of the victims were identified as students in the Elgin Independent School District.
Superintendent Dr. Jodi Duron told KXAN that the district is grieving the loss of Alyssa Broderick and Willie Simmons III.
Simmons was the captain of the high school football team and was recruited by the University of North Texas, KXAN reported.
“He was an exceptional young man and leader among his peers,” Duron said in a statement to the television station.
She added that Alyssa Broderick was a student from 2009 to 2020, and left last fall.
“She was an excellent student and athlete, enrolled in our Early College High School program and played on our girls’ basketball team,” Duron said.
District officials told the America-Statesman that they are “heartbroken by the news of this senseless tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Willie Simmons III and Alyssa Broderick.
The Austin Police Department on Monday afternoon released the names of the two students and of the other woman, Amanda Broderick, 34.
Officers were first notified of the incident with a report of a shooting or stabbing in the area, which is the department’s highest priority call, according to police. The first officer arrived at the scene at 11:46 a.m.
@Chief_Chacon provides media briefing in relation to Great Hills Trail incident. https://t.co/1msS4LHJDU
— Austin Police Department (@Austin_Police) April 18, 2021
Moments later, a “reverse 911 activation” was sent out for residents in the area to alert them about the shooting and to advise them to shelter in place, according to police.
The shelter in place alert was lifted before 5 p.m.
The suspect was identified as Broderick, who was considered armed and dangerous. Authorities said they were concerned that Broderick could take a hostage or shelter somewhere and wait for police to leave.
Broderick, at one time, was a deputy for the Travis County Sheriff’s Office, according to police.
KVUE reported that Broderick resigned from TCSO last year after he was placed on administrative leave without pay due to a charge of sexual assault of a child.
Travis County District Attorney Jose Garza said in a statement that Broderick was released on $50,000 bond. He said that the district attorney’s office on Sunday filed a motion to revoke that bond.
The Austin American-Statesman reported that Broderick’s wife filed for a protective order and divorce shortly after his arrest.
This is a developing story and we’ll bring more details as they become available.
Read also: