SECURITY OFFICER SHOOTS SUSPECT AFTER FATAL ALTERCATION
By Dale Hines
Blue RAM Media
April 9, 2026
AUSTIN TX. A Texas nightclub security officer observed a man fatally shoot another person and opened fire on the suspect.
The early Friday shooting at Michelobos nightclub, which left 30-year-old Tyler Cochran dead and suspect Clayton Taitague, 20, critically wounded, occurred at a location that has generated 61 police calls in 2024 — nearly double last year’s total of 34 calls.
Austin police said that surveillance video shows Taitague fired nine shots at Cochran following a verbal dispute that turned physical. The security guard then fired approximately 12 shots at Taitague, who police say appeared to be moving to shoot Cochran again.
“Both the frequency and intensity of these calls have increased,” Austin Police Chief Davis said at a Monday press conference, citing aggravated assaults, celebratory gunfire, and robberies at the intersection of I-35 and Braker Lane.
Taitague remains hospitalized in stable condition but heavily sedated, Parks said. He faces first-degree murder charges.
The security guard was questioned and released at this time.
Police commanders say they’ve been meeting with property owners and business operators since April about safety concerns in the area, which houses several nightclubs and after-hours establishments.
“We’re looking at these liquor licenses and what is contributing to this rise in calls for service,” Davis said, adding that potential solutions range from improved lighting to venue changes.
The incident marks Austin’s 56th homicide of 2024.
In the last ten years, the number of security officer lethal force interactions with armed subjects has more than doubled according to proprietary statistics kept by Private Officer International.
Copyright 2026 Blue RAM Media. All rights reserved.
