For Immediate Release
May 17, 2010

Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg today announced that a Travis County grand jury completed its review of a June 1st, 2009 incident in which Travis County Sheriff’s Deputy Scott Schroeder shot 34 year old Douglas Willard. Willard was shot outside his home in southeast Travis County.

The Grand Jury determined that no criminal action will be taken against Deputy Schroeder.

On the night of May 31st, 2009, sheriff’s deputies responded to a call from Willard’s parents who had become alarmed by their son’s behavior. The parents told the dispatcher that their son was armed and that he was in a terrible state of mind. His father told the dispatcher that he was afraid of Willard and “you should be, too.”

Douglas Willard and his parents live on the same lot at an address on River Road. The parents live on the front portion and Douglas Willard lives in a trailer at the back of the lot.

Deputies learned that Willard was in his trailer and were told by the parents that he was in possession of firearms. Sheriff's personnel repeatedly requested that he come out of the trailer unarmed, but Willard would not comply. Willard talked with the 911 dispatcher several times over the course of the evening and remained insistent that he would not come out of his home without a weapon. During the course of the phone conversations, which lasted several hours, Willard seemed to become more intoxicated and threatening. At some point, deputies learned that Willard’s friend, Sheena Patterson, was in the trailer with him. It was uncertain at the time whether Patterson was free to leave.

The sheriff's SWAT team was called to the scene because law enforcement feared for the safety of Willard and Patterson. When the two finally exited the trailer, Willard was carrying a shotgun. When he moved the shotgun in an upward motion in the direction of the law enforcement personnel, Deputy Scott Schroeder shot him once in the chest.

Willard fully recovered from his injury. He and Sheena Patterson testified before the Grand Jury, as did Deputy Schroeder and other law enforcement personnel who were present at the scene.

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