Cedar Park police ID man who was shot

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) - The man who was killed Thursday after opening fire on Cedar Park police officers is identified as 59-year-old Charles O'Hara.

Authorities said Friday that five Cedar Park officers were involved in the deadly shooting that happened around 1 p.m. in the  400 block of North Rainbow Bridge Drive, near U.S. Highway 183.

They are identified as:

• Sgt. Bobby Vernengo
• Officer James Quinn
• Officer Coy Brown
• Officer Kristy Britt
• Officer Robert Harris

All have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation by the Texas Rangers into the matter is in progress. Police agencies routinely place officers on leave whenever they are involved in a shooting.

The shooting capped a series of events that that started when a woman inside the man's home called 911 to report a domestic disturbance. Police said O'Hara's mother told the call-taker that her son was causing trouble in their home. He had smashed a television, the woman said.

The woman then left the house, telling the dispatcher that she was afraid of her son, police said.

Police said that when officers arrived, they were confronted O'Hara, who was armed.

"Shots were exchanged with the suspect," police said. "The subject was hit and died with the scene. No officers were injured during the exchange."

At least six rounds were fired before officers killed O'Hara. It was the first time officers had been called to that home, police said.

Vernengo  is a 12-year veteran of the Cedar Park Police Department. Quinn has been with the department for 14 years. Brown and Britt are five-year Cedar Park police veterans and Harris has been with the department for two years.

"The Cedar Park Police Department will not be releasing any additional information until the investigation is complete and has been presented to the Williamson County Grand Jury," the department said in a statement to reporters.

Neighbors said Charles O'Hara, who they knew as Chuck, was introverted and did not talk to anyone aside from his mother.

"I've never really had a conversation with him he's just very introverted," said Donna Reeh, who lived next door and was friends with O'Hara's mother, Jeanne. "She's just a great neighbor everyone who knows Jeanne loves her she is very friendly always out walking her dog."

Reeh's 16-year-old son, Jonah, was home alone when he heard strange noises coming from outside the house on Thursday afternoon.

"I thought maybe somebody was like throwing rocks at my window but ended up looking outside and I saw people with guns and stuff right in our front yard," said Jonah.

Reeh called 911 and then called his parents.

"We were both just kind of giving him instructions over the phone just stay down, I wanted him upstairs away from downstairs," said Donna Reeh.

The Cedar Park neighborhood where the shooting happened is a close knit community, according to Donna Reeh, and the concern of neighbors is now with their friend Jeanne O'Hara.

"I'm extremely sad and our neighbors are just extremely concerned about her and how she is coping with this and our thoughts and prayers are just going out to her right now and her family and as a mother I just can't imagine the grief that she is going through," Donna Reeh said.