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During a hostage barricade on the morning of November 11, 2023, Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore of Austin was shot and killed in the line of duty.
Prior to the incident, shortly before 3 a.m., patrol officers had responded to a residence on the city's southwest side for a domestic violence call involving a stabbing.
The entire community, including friends, family, and fellow officers, mourns the death of the 38-year-old officer. A vigil was held on Sunday evening to pay tribute to SWAT officer Pastore.
Another SWAT officer, along with Jorge Pastore, was also shot
The Austin Police Department Honor Guard reported that on November 11, 2023, at 2:49 a.m., the Austin Police Department responded to a domestic violence incident in the 9300 block of Bernoulli Drive. In a press conference, Austin Police Interim Chief Robin Henderson stated that upon arrival, officers learned from a woman who was stabbed and managed to escape that there were two hostages inside the residence.
According to Chief Henderson, at 3 a.m., the officers made forced entry into the residence to rescue the hostages but were fired upon by the suspect. Following this, SWAT was called to the scene. At 4:11 a.m., SWAT entered the premises, and the suspect opened fire once again, which led to two officers, including Officer Jorge Pastore, being shot. This time, SWAT officers fired back, and the suspect was shot dead.
Austin police Interim Chief Robin Henderson said,
"My heart is heavy today. Please help me and our APD family pay tribute to SPO Jorge Pastore for his brave & heroic actions. Sir, we'll take it from here."
According to the Austin Police Department Honor Guard, Officer Pastore and the unidentified officer who was shot were rushed to a nearby hospital. The other officer was listed in stable condition, but Officer Pastore was declared dead.
Officer Down Memorial Page mentioned that the other two hostages were also found dead inside the residence.
A vigil was held for Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore
KVUE reported that on November 12, 2023, a vigil was held to honor Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore at Austin City Hall, which was attended by community members, city leaders, and fellow officers.
According to the report by KVUE, president of the Austin Police Association (APA), Michael Bullock said,
"The pain is fresh, but we can find solace in knowing that Officer Pastore died doing what he loved."
CBS News reported that during the vigil, which was attended by hundreds of people, co-founder of Save Austin Now, Cleo Petricek, said,
"Officers like Jorge make it possible for us to live just a phone call away from help. Jorge and his family have given more than we could ever repay."
According to the report by CBS News, a "Get Well Soon" card was also organized for people to sign for the recovering officer.
Senior Police Officer Pastore was with the Austin Police Department for four years and served the Austin community in various capacities, including patrol in the Henry and George sectors, along with being an active team member of the Honor Guard, SWAT Gold Team, CAST, and SRT.
The Austin Police Department Honor Guard reported that Senior Police Officer Jorge Pastore is survived by his wife Kim Pastore, stepsons Conner and Trevor Balint, parents Lourdes Mendez and Jorge Pastore Sr., and sisters Tatiana Pastore and Nohely Pastore.
