Former Texas Cop Arrested for Fatal Shooting Of Ex-wife, Daughter and Her Boyfriend [VIDEO]

*A former Texas sheriff’s deputy has been arrested for the fatal shooting of his teenage daughter, her boyfriend, and his ex-wife.  

Stephen Nicholas Broderick, 41, was arrested Monday morning without incident after he was spotted walking along a highway between the towns of Manor and Elgin, the Manor Police Department announced on Facebook. Officials said he was armed with a loaded pistol at the time of his arrest. 

Authorities had been searching for Broderick for nearly 20 hours after he reportedly shot his ex-wife, Amanda Broderick,34, their adopted teenage daughter, Alyssa, and the girl’s boyfriend, Willie Simmons III, 18, at the Arboretum Oaks Apartments in northwest Austin Sunday morning.

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Amanda had filed for a restraining order against Broderick in June 2020 after Alyssa accused her father of repeatedly raping her in the past. Broderick was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in June of 2020 for sexual assault on a child. He was placed on administrative leave without pay and ultimately resigned.

Broderick was jailed for 16 days prior to posting $50,000 bail. A judge ordered him to wear a GPS ankle monitor and he was prohibited from possessing firearms, KXAN News reported. Amanda’s protective order was approved by a judge and Broderick was prohibited from contacting or going within 200 yards of the victim. Per SandraRose, in her application, Amanda said she was “afraid he will try to hurt me and my children.” She said Broderick was “SWAT trained” and “If he wanted to hurt someone, he would know how.”

In court documents, Alyssa said she was afraid that “a protective order will be just a piece of paper” to her father.

In November, a judge ordered the ankle monitor to be removed after Broderick wore the device for nearly 150 days with no violations. On Sunday, Broderick reportedly went to Amanda’s apartment complex for a scheduled visit with their young son, and he fired multiple shots, killing all three victims, before fleeing the scene on foot, police said in a statement. The couple’s minor son was not injured. 

In a statement to PEOPLE, Elgin Independent School District Superintendent Dr. Jodi Duron, confirmed that Simmons and Alyssa Broderick had both been students at Elgin High School.

“We are heartbroken by the news of this senseless tragedy, and we extend our deepest condolences to the families of Willie Simmons III and Alyssa Broderick,” the statement read. “Although Alyssa withdrew from Elgin ISD back in the fall, she was an Elgin ISD student from 2009 to October 2020. She was an excellent student and athlete, enrolled in our Early College High School program and played on our girls’ basketball team. Willie was a senior at Elgin High School. He was an exceptional young man and leader among his peers. Strong, both academically and athletically, he represented the very best of Elgin ISD. He was the Captain of our football team; a friend to everyone he met; and most recently, recruited to play football for the University of North Texas. The Elgin ISD community grieves the loss of these two young, promising souls. In response to this tragedy, the district will have counselors and trained professionals available via in person and/or virtually to assist students, staff and families in this time of grief.”

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