Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Cris Eric Steenblock
Age : 39
Gender : Male
Race : White
Date : 08/01/2024
Location : 1600 block of North Willis Street
City : Abilene
County : Taylor
State : Texas
Agency : Abilene Police Department
Officer(s) :Not Disclosed
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police during domestic disturbance call
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/02/2024 at approximately 10:00 a.m., Abilene police officers responded to a reported domestic disturbance at a residence in the 1600 block of North Willis Street. Dispatch information indicated that a man inside the home was armed with a knife and threatening family members.
When officers arrived, they contacted people outside the residence and learned that 39-year-old John Lee Thayer remained inside. Police entered the residence and encountered Thayer armed with a knife. Officers repeatedly ordered him to drop the weapon while attempting to control the encounter. According to police, Thayer advanced toward the officers while continuing to hold the knife. Officers fired their weapons, striking Thayer. He died at the scene from his injuries.
Taylor County deputies and Abilene Fire Department personnel also responded to the incident. Detectives secured the residence while investigators documented the scene and interviewed witnesses. The Texas Rangers assumed responsibility for the independent investigation into the shooting, consistent with department policy for police shootings. The investigation was later submitted to the Taylor County District Attorney for review. No criminal charges against the involved officers were publicly announced.
The shooting was the fourth police shooting involving the Abilene Police Department during 2024. News reports indicated that the incident began as a domestic disturbance involving family members before police arrived.
No publicly reported wrongful-death lawsuit or civil settlement related to Thayer's death was located.
