June 30, 2020

Sent via email

The Hon. Margaret Moore

Travis County District Attorney

The Hon. Brian Manley

Austin Police Chief

Re: Justice for Mike Ramos

Dear District Attorney Moore and Chief Manley:

It has been 67 days since Officer Christopher Taylor shot and killed Mike Ramos without provocation. As
you know, Mike was unarmed and slowly driving away from police toward a dead end when Taylor killed
him. It has been 35 days since DA Moore announced that she will criminally prosecute Taylor.

Yet, not only has Taylor not been arrested and charged with murder, he continues to be paid fulltime by
APD. In my client Brenda Ramos’s view, this is unconscionable. Mike Ramos was the second Austinite
killed by Officer Taylor in less than a year.

Ms. Ramos has implored you to fire Officer Taylor, arrest and charge him with killing her unarmed son,
and prosecute him appropriately. There can be no question whatsoever about Ms. Ramos’s position on
what constitutes a measure of justice for her son. i

Now, as of DA Moore’s June 24 letter, Ms. Ramos and Austin have learned that you have consulted with
each other and decided to delay firing Officer Taylor, to say nothing of failing to arrest and charge him.
Ms. Ramos does not accept your vague “concern that the administrative action could prejudice the
criminal case” as a credible or justifiable excuse for further delaying justice for her son.

By this letter I respectfully reiterate Ms. Ramos’s call for Officer Taylor to be fired and arrested without
further delay.

Sincerely,
HENDLER FLORES LAW PLLC
/s/ Rebecca Webber
Rebecca Webber
Attorney for Brenda Ramos

1
i
Austin American-Statesman, Mother calls for prosecution of Austin officer who killed her unarmed son (May 31,
2020), available at https://www.statesman.com/news/20200531/mother-calls-for-prosecution-of-austin-officer-
who-killed-her-unarmed-son:

On the third day of protests in Austin, Brenda Ramos called for the firing of the Austin police
officer who fatally shot her unarmed son.

Mike Ramos, 42, was shot and killed by Austin police officer Christopher Taylor on April 24 at a
Southeast Austin apartment complex. Witness video shows Ramos had his hands in the air when
another officer shot him with bean bag ammunition. Ramos then got into a car and was driving
away when Taylor fired at him, fatally injuring him.

“Why hasn’t officer Taylor been arrested? Why hasn’t officer Taylor been fired? Why hasn’t
officer Taylor at least been suspended?” Brenda Ramos said Sunday during an emotional press
conference outside the apartment complex.

Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore said Friday that the case will be presented to a
grand jury.

“I cry every day,” Brenda Ramos said. “Now I’m in this heartbroken club; it’a a club of mothers of
black Americans who have been murdered by police.”

Marcus Krum and Anna Canizales, The Daily Texas, ‘This is nothing new’: Austinites protest after deaths of
Michael Ramos, George Floyd (May 31, 2020), available at https://thedailytexan.com/05/31/20-this-is-
nothing-new-Austinites-protest-after-deaths-of-Michael-Ramos-George-Floyd:

Austin Police Chief Brian Manley said Ramos, 42, was unarmed when he was shot by officer
Christopher Taylor on April 24, according to the American-Statesman. On May 29, Margaret
Moore, Travis County District Attorney, announced Taylor’s trial will be presented to a special
grand jury on an undetermined date.

Around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Brenda Ramos, the mother of Michael Ramos, spoke in front of
protesters and called on APD to fire and arrest Taylor.

Andrew Webber, KUT, After Mike Ramos' Death, His Mother Calls On Austin Police To 'Make A Change' (June 12,
2020), available at https://www.kut.org/post/after-mike-ramos-death-his-mother-calls-austin-police-make-change:

She's calling on APD to fire Officer Christopher Taylor, who killed her son, and for the department
to institute a policy that prohibits any officer from being out on the street after using lethal force.
Taylor and another officer shot at a man having a mental health crisis less than a year ago, killing
him.

Ultimately, Ramos said she wants Taylor prosecuted.