'Sudden passion': 8-year sentence for Austin man convicted of killing man who threatened dogs

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The man convicted of shooting and killing another man during an argument about a dog was sentenced to eight years in jail, according to the Office of the District Attorney in Travis County.

Adam Brown was 23 years old in March of 2024 when he was arrested and charged with murder for killing 44-year-old Christopher Rodriguez. However, the punishment range was reduced to second-degree when Brown's defense argued the crime was one of "sudden passion" and the jury agreed.

The murder happened a little more than a year ago, on March 23, 2024. Bystanders called 911 to report Brown and his girlfriend -- who were walking their dogs near The Patton West apartments on Wickersham Lane -- were in an escalating argument with Rodriguez because of Brown's dogs barked and lunged at Rodriguez.

Brown said Rodriguez threatened to kill the dogs before retrieving a tree branch that he later threw toward Brown. Meanwhile, according to the DA, Brown and his girlfriend went to their apartment and returned with weapons -- a gun and a baseball bat.

Neighbors told 911 dispatchers Rodriguez did not have a weapon in his hands when Brown shot him in the chest. Gunfire could be heard on the 911 call, according to the district attorney.

"The defendant later attempted to justify his actions by claiming self-defense, asserting that Mr. Rodriguez had threatened him with a knife, bent down to reach for a rock, and sprinted toward him. However, the evidence contradicted his version of events," the press release from Travis County District Attorney José Garza stated.

Brown was found guilty of murder on April 16, 2025. At sentencing, his attorney told jurors the crime was a case of sudden passion. They agreed and reduced the punishment range to a second-degree offense.

Brown was ordered to spend eight years in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.