Family of Texas entrepreneur fatally shot by police say he was defending his home

[Jilly_in_VA]

A tech entrepreneur in Texas wasn’t given ample time to drop a rifle he was carrying on his own front porch before he was fatally shot by police last month, his devastated family told NBC News.

Rajan “Raj” Moonesinghe, 33, had returned from a trip and suspected his home had been burglarized during the early-morning hours of Nov. 15. That’s when he held a rifle outside his front door and was encountered by an Austin police officer who quickly shot him while almost simultaneously ordering Moonesinghe to drop the gun, relatives said.

In an exclusive interview on Thursday, Moonesinghe’s mother, Ruth, and brother, Johann, said they are heartbroken and demanding answers from Austin police as to why their loved one was killed so quickly before being given a reasonable amount of time to drop the weapon.

“He did nothing wrong,” Johann Moonesinghe said. “He had a gun … he was defending his house and he didn’t point the gun. He was not menacing. He didn’t look like he was going to shoot anyone.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/-nothing-wrong-family-texas-entrepreneur-fatally-shot-police-say-was-d-rcna59884

Typical cop---shoot first, ask questions afterwards. Wonder if he'd have shot so quickly if the guy was white?

[Tatertot]

1. So a good guy with a gun

Was mistaken for a bad guy with a gun. This cop didn’t give him time to respond and the cop should have announce himself as police first.
This is an acceptable risk for the gun loving/toting right. This is why I don’t think think the current free access to guns and open carry laws are reasonable. I agree with the second amendment. I was raised around guns and I own several. But I don’t long for the Wild West and I’m not afraid such that I need to carry. These kind of things will become all too frequent.
I’m curious how the right will demonize the guy “he should have complied with the officer” will be the refrain. The right loves to worship law inforcement.

[BComplex]

5. He wasn't white enough.

Else he wouldn't have been shot.

I'm so friggin' sick and tired of racism among police officers. THAT is what needs a congressional investigation!

[malaise]

6. Yep

But you see he thought 💭 otherwise

[Girard442]

2. A world where everyone being armed is normal...

...and where cops are given a blank check to use deadly force anytime they feel threatened.

What could go wrong?

[bottomofthehill]

3. If you watch the video

Mr Moonesinghe fires his weapon twice as the officer is arriving on the scene. It is a difficult call, but a guy firing a weapon into a house is a threat to those in the house, those in the neighborhood and the cop arriving on the scene. Running around shooting a gun is never a good idea unles your life is under direct threat.

[tishaLA]

26. The 911 caller told the dispatcher that it looked like he

was defending his home, like there was something wrong inside. The dispatcher should have passed that information on. And you don't shoot someone before you've even gotten "drop your weapon" out of your mouth unless they look like they're firing or about to fire on you

Like Philando Castille before him, it's another demonstration that people with melanin don't have 2nd Amendment rights.

[Kaleva]

36. There's a few things the deceased did wrong

He didn't retreat to a safe location and call 911 to report the break-in.

You don't fire the weapon unless the use of deadly force is warranted. He shot into his house at who knows what.

The gun should be laid down on the ground or holstered if a handgun before the police arrive. If one still has it in their hand when the police arrive, then just drop it. Don't wait for a command to do so.

Expecting police or other armed people to do things in a certain way has never made anyone bullet proof so you should strive to minimize the risk to yourself .

Bottom line is that guns are dangerous and one should get appropriate training.

[pinkstarburst]

39. The shooter WAS firing

He was firing his assault rifle into his home. The police had no way to know if there were people inside that he was shooting at. This was inside the Austin city limits.

This isn't about skin color. It's another sad example of a Texas gun humper who decided to be an idiot, get out his assault rifle and starting shooting at things in downtown Austin. I'm very sorry this man died but it was due to his own foolish choices.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

32. who or what was he firing at?

[sarisataka]

4. How many times should police allow

A person to fire a military style rifle into a house before they fire?

What questions should they ask him first?

[Kaleva]

7. I bet the man didn't have any training

and he died.


Don't own a gun unless one puts in the time and effort to get properly trained.

[Chainfire]

8. Shoot them all, let God sort them out.

[raccoon]

9. To answer your question, I don't think so. Just reading the

Thread title I figured the entrepreneur wasn’t white.

[stopdiggin]

10. this guy was FIRING his weapon.

I, nor no one else is happy about a death - but you simply cannot describe this as an innocent who posed no threat. He most assuredly did.

I'll allow there was little time between the verbal order and LE firing - but, again, the man had fired (into a residence) as the police are arriving on the scene! Police have no idea whether there are already casualties involved ... You've created a slam bam, instantaneous judgement, situation!

Again - sorry the guy is dead. But, cripes!

[Beaverhausen]

11. Little time? He had NO time to drop his weapon

Stop making excuses for bad cops.

[bottomofthehill]

12. Tragic consequence brought on by poor judgement

Mr Moonesinghe called a friend, retrieved a weapon from the garage, worked the perimeter and fired into the home. Had he called 911 instead of calling a friend, waited for professionals to arrive instead of acting recklessly, and not fired into his house maybe he would still be alive today. His actions put him in harms way. There were plenty of points for him to stand down. The loss of life is tragic. Mr Moonesinghes actions put him in a place that this could happen. I am sorry for his family as they have lost a loved one and there is no way to undue what happened.

[stopdiggin]

14. Stop presenting every madman firing a weapon

into a residence - as an 'innocent victim' presenting no threat.

This might not have been an example of textbook police response and reaction - but it was also well removed from the 'cops run amuck' theme that some seem overly eager to hang on every situation and incident. Choose your 'bad cop' exhibits with a little more discretion. It's not like they're impossible to find. (and then you have me voicing complete agreement) But, don't run the same flag up the flagpole with every incident.

[Hugh_Lebowski]

17. My lady and I agree ... (nt)

[Beaverhausen]

21. So why did the cop yell "drop the weapon?"

Why bother? He just went ahead and killed him anyway.

[Kaleva]

38. Having a gun in your hand when the police arrive is a big no-no

One should drop the gun when they see the police. Don't wait for an order to do so. Stand there with hands out and up and follow instructions.

You're in a real dicey situation if you are still armed when the police arrive and the reason people are taught to drop the gun is that people who are holding a gun sometimes get shot

[pinkstarburst]

20. This isn't the wild west

This gentleman's house is in downtown Austin. If he suspected someone had been in his house, he should have called 911.

Instead, he called a friend, got out his assault rifle, and began patrolling outside, and firing into his house, which is all sorts of effed up even for the wild west. It's worth pointing out that the neighbor who called 911 requested police AND mental health services upon seeing his irrational behavior.

I am sorry for any loss of life and it is terrible that this man died, but I do not blame the police, nor do I think racism was at play here. I absolutely blame the fact that people own too many guns in this country, particularly in Texas, too many assault rifles, and for all the responsible gun owners out there who do a great job of handling their weapons safely... this guy didn't do that. Firing your assault rifle into a house within city limits is not a smart idea. He paid the price for being an idiot, sad to say.

[lostnfound]

23. A CALLER *said* he had fired his weapon...but what did the caller actually hear

It sounds unclear, and that the police were already there. It’s just as likely that the caller heard the police fire their weapon and assumed or though it was Moonsinghe. I don’t believe anything that the police spokesmen say, ever, until they show a bodycam..

[Grins]

24. I saw the body cam

Cop yells “Drop the gun!” and then IMMEDIATELY pulls the trigger.

Family is going to win big time in court.

[Kaleva]

27. How much time do you give a guy who had been firing his assault weapon?

A minute?

[Takket]

13. maybe i'm missing something but......

why was he outside with the gun, and why did he shoot into his own home? did he think there was a burglar inside?

why would you shoot into your own home?

[Kaleva]

29. His behaviour was rather bizarre.

[James48]

15. Well there ya go.

FAFO that shooting inside the city limits isn’t a good idea.

Darwin Award.

[IronLionZion]

16. Good guy with a gun can look like a bad guy with a gun

Cops don't know who is good or bad. This should poke a lot of holes in the gun nut fantasy of protecting their home from invaders.

[pinkstarburst]

18. This guy had an assault rifle and was actively SHOOTING

He was outside his house with an assault rifle, and firing into his own house. Police ordered him to drop the weapon, which he did not.

Sorry, but this is a sad example of there being way too many guns in Texas. What did this guy think was going to happen when he was actively firing an assault rifle in a populated area of Austin?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

19. Plenty of blame to go around here. This guy was not being smart AT ALL

I'm assuming he lived alone (or knew his house was empty). Otherwise he'd have been endangering the inhabitants, and that's not been mentioned in any story I've read.

Ergo, in this situation, you simply don't go inside, and you call the police.

This death is kinda at the feet of macho gun culture when you get down to it. Along with this guy being a fool ... because he's apparently an adherent to it.

These cops will likely walk, and they probably should. They had no way of knowing why this guy was shooting into a house.

[Kaleva]

22. Yes. Call 911 and retreat to a safe location , telling 911 where you are at

I like to approach my home from the north which allows me to check all four sides for anything amiss before getting out of the car. If there is something, I'll use my phone to check if Ring captured anything and then make a decision on whether or not to call 911. If my wife is home, I'll do the same but also attempt to contact her via text or phone call. And based on the information I was able to gather up to that point, I'll decide to call 911 or not. If I feel my wife is in danger, I'll call 911 and then enter the home.

This is my plan and what I practice.

I have a revolver but I don't carry when out and about as I don't have the desire to put in the time and effort training to the point where I feel I can handle a gun in a crisis situation in public in a skilled manner.

[Calculating]

25. Also cowardly cops

The cop gave him no time to even drop the gun.

[Kaleva]

28. He was not the smartest guy in the world with a gun

Although his behaviour was odd the way he was talking and then firing into his home. Mental breakdown?

[Hugh_Lebowski]

35. There is that I'm usually harsh in my opinion of cops who do this sort of thing

But I tend to give them at least a little leeway when they're actually witness to someone peeling caps into a residence, and they react without knowing what's actually going on/who they're dealing with/what the situation is.

This is the kind of scenario where I can't help but think ... it's at least possibly reasonable they did what they did.

We'll see what's discovered in the lawsuit is about where I'm at on this one

[Samrob]

30. So a Zimmerman can "stand his ground" against a black teen eating skittles on public grounds but

a man of color cannot protect his own home with a gun that is legal to carry openly? WTF? There is no equal justice in America. It always was a to protect whites only. Fuck them!!!

[Kaleva]

31. Can you name a reputable gun defense training course that teaches..

what that guy did? I can't think of one. It's not really a surprise he ended up getting shot.

[pinkstarburst]

40. First off

Zimmerman is a crazy lunatic. I think we can all agree on that.

But this guy is a Texas gun humper nut and wins no awards for me. It's one thing to "legally carry openly" and another to be firing an assault rifle at your home inside the Austin city limits. It is no surprise the neighbors called the police and that the police did what they did when he arrived. Do you really think it's appropriate for people to fire assault rifles inside the city limits?

[Kaleva]

33. The guy would be alive today if he hadn't had a gun

[What he did that I observed on the Ring video leads me to believe he had no training on the use of a gun for home defense. However, his behaviour was odd in the way he was talking and then firing into his own home. I got the impression he wasn't all there but that's just my guess.

For those who say he was defending his home, you sure don't do it the way the deceased did it.

[Genki Hikari]

34. I keep telling y'all

That Austin is not as liberal as it likes to pretend to be. The Austin PD is especially bigoted, even worse than the cops in Dallas, Houston or San Antonio.

My stepsister's (Hispanic) husband is from there and calls Austin the most racist big city in Texas. I always thought it would be Dallas, but he swears otherwise.

[live love laugh]

37. BROWN men with guns are assumed threats. First.

Licensed brown gun owners may feel safe but they run a higher risk of being killed if they encounter police while armed.