The incident happened at a fast food restaurant parking lot, police training commander Alyssa Campos was quoted as saying.
A Texas cop was sacked after a video of him indiscriminately shooting at a teenager eating a hamburger in his car surfaced.
In a video that has emerged online, a San Antonio cop is seen repeatedly firing at the boy who had been sitting in his car and eating a hamburger. After the cop opens the door of the parked vehicle, he asks the boy to get out. When the teenager asks “why” the cop tries to grab him. Within seconds, the cop begins firing relentlessly. “Shot fired”- the cop repeats as the boy closes the door of his car and drives away. The video was tweeted by social media influencer and healthcare advocate Kendall Brown. Hindustan Times could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
The officer, James Brennand, was sacked following the incident which took place on October 2, said a report by news agency AP.
Earlier this week, a San Antonio cop abruptly confronted a teen eating in a McDonalds parking lot & demanded the teen exit his vehicle.
When the teen asked why, the cop immediately assaulted & then shot him MULTIPLE TIMES. Cop tried to (falsely) claim the teen had struck him 1st pic.twitter.com/ATNKj4fVgi
— Kendall Brown (@kendallybrown) October 7, 2022
The incident happened at a fast food restaurant parking lot, police training commander Alyssa Campos was quoted as saying.
Erik Cantu, 17, who was struck by the gunfire, has suffered injuries. He was found by police after he and another passenger – who was unharmed – had stopped nearby after fleeing the scene.
Initially charged with evading police and aggravated assault, Cantu is now recovering at a hospital; his condition is said to be stable.
The police said Brennand had responded to an unrelated disturbance at the fast-food restaurant when he saw Cantu inside the car, which had evaded him a day earlier.
A Texas prosecutor said Friday there was not enough evidence to file charges against the teenager.
“While Sunday’s shooting of an unarmed teenager by a then-San Antonio Police officer remains under investigation, the facts and evidence we have received so far led us to reject the charges against Erik Cantu for further investigation,” Bexar County District attorney Joe Gonzales said.
Brennand, who had been on the force for less than one year, violated his training and police procedures after approaching the car, Campos said.
“The officer abruptly opened the driver’s door and ordered the driver out of the car” before the arrival of backup officers that Brennand had requested, Campos said.
“There is nothing I can say in defense of that officer’s actions that night,” Police Chief William McManus was quoted as telling state-run WOAI-TV.
“I think what happened, initially, there was some contact made, but that did not justify the shooting.”
(With AP inputs)