Let me see your hands. >> Now, prosecutors say this was an excessive use of force and Dilva was undergoing a profound mental health episode. >> So, quick question. If a jury convicts a cop for deadly conduct and a judge sentences him to prison, but an appeals court later says, "Lol, actually, never mind." Did accountability just blink and miss? This is Texas, where law and order means whatever helps the badge sleep at night. Former Austin Police Department officer Christopher Taylor was convicted by a jury for deadly conduct after killing Morris Dilva in 2019. A real jury, real evidence, real consequences for like 5 minutes. A conviction overturned for a former Austin police officer found guilty of deadly conduct last year. Thanks so much for joining us. I'm Jennifer Sanders >> and I'm Daniel Muddy. And today the district attorney's office called the ruling absurd. Attorneys and supporters of Christopher Taylor call it justice. Kagan's Brianna Hollis joins us now. Now Bri, you have covered Christopher Taylor in court for years now. First off, remind us about the case that we're talking about right now. >> So it stems from the deadly 2019 shooting of Maurica Da Silva. And I do want to warn you, we are going to show you some video of that in about 15 seconds. Police responded to 911 calls about Dilva walking around his downtown apartment with a knife to his throat. Officers confronted him outside of an elevator. Prosecutors and defense attorneys have different takes on what happened here. So, we'll go ahead and let you see the body cam footage for yourself. Now, prosecutors say this was an excessive use of force and Dilva was undergoing a profound mental health episode. Taylor's attorneys argue he acted in defense of himself, the other officers, and the public. And after about 4 hours of deliberation, a jury found him guilty. A judge then sentenced him to two years, and he has been out on an appellet bond ever since. Hold up, because this is where it gets insane. Fast forward to now. The Texas Court of Appeals steps in and says, "Actually, we've reviewed the vibes." And just like that, conviction gone, not retrieded, not reconsidered, acquitted, done. That's not justice. That's a control alt badge. >> Okay, so that brings us now to this latest development with this overturned conviction. What are the parties involved saying about all of this? >> So, the Dilva family has some attorneys representing them on the civil side. They said that they're disappointed in this and they said, quote, "Society demands better conduct from its police." And Taylor's attorney had a press conference this morning addressing the appellet court's decision. >> Wait, this part matters. According to Christopher Taylor's own attorney, Doug O'Connell, the court didn't just reverse the conviction. They didn't say try again. They didn't say procedural error. They rendered a judgment declaring Christopher Taylor innocent. Not not guilty. Not charges dismissed. Innocent. That's not an appeal. That's a full legal baptism. >> Not only did they reverse the conviction, but they rendered judgment declaring that Chris Taylor was innocent. It's very rare for an appeals court to overturn a criminal conviction. It's incredibly rare for an appeals court to render a defendant innocent. >> The justification, the officer was in an elevator, doors open, man has a knife. Court says reasonable fear because as we all know, police training famously collapses inside elevators. Deescalation. Nah. Distance. Nope. Backup. Sir, this is Texas. >> Now, Taylor lost his law enforcement enforcement license when he was convicted, so he could no longer work for APD. >> And here's the part they really don't want you focusing on. While all of this was going on, Christopher Taylor wasn't just getting union support. He was running the benevolence fund. You know, the fund that collects money for officers in trouble. Convicted cop, union backed, handling the money, and now declared innocent and eligible to get his badge back. That's not distance from the system. That's deep inside the wiring. >> Since then, he's been working a temporary position with the Austin Police Association, running the benevolence fund. A big question now, can he get his job back? We asked the union president that this morning. >> Ultimately, the decision is his. Uh I believe that he is entitled to get his job back at the department if that's what he chooses to do. You know, this it was a administrative decision based on his lensure status uh as a result of the conviction. So I believe that he is eligible to get his license back and if he wants to come back that's that's up to him. >> And a final answer on that will take some time. APD says it's reviewing that appellet decision with the city attorney. There is also an active civil case against the city and APD related to that 2019 shooting. Moving forward, the DA's office says it will continue to fight this to uphold the jury's original verdict. And that would involve taking the case to the criminal court of appeals, which is the highest criminal court in Texas. >> And before anyone says it was just one officer, let's talk about the rest of the elevator crew. Because Christopher Taylor wasn't alone. Officer Carl Critso was the second officer who fired his weapon that night. Just like Taylor, he was originally indicted for murder and deadly conduct. But in November 2025, the Travis County DA quietly dismissed every charge against him. Not because a jury cleared him, not because evidence disappeared, but on the condition that Kitcho would participate in and teach IAT deescalation training to other officers. Nothing says accountability like turning the guy who fired his gun into the guy teaching restraint. Then there's Joseph Cast. Cast was standing behind Taylor in the elevator and deployed his taser during the confrontation. At Taylor's 2024 trial, Cast testified that he believed Morris Dilva was an imminent threat. Same phrase, same script, same outcome. And finally, Philip Zuniga. Zuniga was also inside the elevator. He did not fire a weapon. Instead, he testified about radio call logs and the decision-making process during the response, which is legal code for here's how we all agreed this was justified. So, let's recap. First officer fires and is declared innocent. Second officer fires and his charges are dismissed. And now he is teaching deescalation. Third officer deploys a taser and testifies imminent threat. Fourth officer documents the narrative. Same elevator, same story, same ending. This wasn't a bad apple. This was a well-coordinated orchard. And another officer, Carl Kisho, was also originally charged in this same shooting. The DA dismissed his case on the condition that he participate in a new use of force training program and teach that program at APD if the department asks him to. Here's the message this ruling sends. If you're a cop, even when a jury convicts you, even when a judge sentences you, there's still one more safety net. And it's woven entirely out of qualified immunity energy and professional courtesy. This wasn't some rogue DA. This wasn't Twitter court. This was the system doing exactly what it's designed to do. Convictions are optional. Consequences are negotiable and accountability is subject to review. So next time someone says just trust the system, remember the system saw a guilty verdict and said nah, we're good. Thin blue lies, baby.