AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Police Department has reaffirmed its emphasis on officer wellness after one officer was involved in four different officer-involved shootings in 15 months, FOX 7 reported.
Officer Adam Reinhart is being praised by the department for his resilience after his involvement in the shootings, including one where he was wounded by gunfire himself.
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In July 2023, Reinhart was involved in an incident where police shot a man who was armed with a knife after a TASER failed to subdue him, according to the report. He was again involved in a shooting in April, another only weeks later, and a September incident in which he was shot in the stomach.
“I think it’s about him…it speaks to his strengths and his character,” Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis said. “To go through a few officer-involved shootings is a big deal, and to have an officer that comes back regularly and continues to do the job, and do the job well, is remarkable.”
APD’s Employee Wellness Program plays a central role in helping officers recover from traumatic events, according to the report. After an officer-involved shooting, a peer support officer responds to the scene and stays with the officer until they go home.
Officers involved in shootings are required to meet with a staff psychologist within 2-3 days.
“They’re human, they have emotions, they have families at home,” said Roxana Ortega, APD’s employee wellness manager, told FOX 4. “They see things on a day-to-day basis that people don’t see their whole life.”
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