The 17 year old Eric Cantù, he was eating a cheeseburger in the parking lot of a local McDonald’s with a colleague. Suddenly a Texas police officer he ordered her to get out of the car but did not give her time: He shot and wounded the young man. The policeman was fired. His actions were recorded on the personal camera with which he recorded the scene.
San Antonio officer James Brennand was expelled from law enforcement following the Oct.2 attack in Cantú on a fast food parking lot, police training commander Alyssa Campos said in a video statement released. Wednesday.
Brennand had responded to an unrelated fast food disturbance when he saw El Cantu inside the car, which he had missed the day before, Commander Campos said. new york post.
The San Antonio Police Department acted swiftly by firing Brennand. At the time of her dismissal, she was still on probation, which means she has no right of appeal, and had only been on duty for seven months.
Police initially filed a complaint against the teenager for escaping arrest and assaulting a police officer, but the charges were later dropped. Under Texas law, due to the teen having charges pending against him, his family could only stay at his bedside for limited periods of time.
Before the video was known, Brennand claimed he only opened fire on Cantú after the teenager hit him with his car. The new video shows the opposite.
Brennand was called to McDonald’s after an ailment unrelated to Cantù. When the officer arrived on the spot, apparently he mistook the boys’ car for a vehicle he had escaped the night beforeas reported by the Daily Mail.
A Texas prosecutor said in a statement Friday that they did not see enough evidence to file a complaint against the teenager.
“Although Sunday’s shooting of an unarmed teenager by a San Antonio police officer is still under investigation, the facts and evidence we have received so far have led us to dismiss the charges against Erik Cantu for further investigation,” he said. Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said. .
police excess
Brennand, who had been on the force for less than a year, violated his police training and procedures after approaching the car, Campos said.
“The officer abruptly opened the driver’s door and ordered him to get out of the car” before the backup officers Brennand had requested arrived, Campos said.
Brennand then opened fire several times when the door closed and Cantù walked away.
Cantu, who was shot at, stopped nearby where he and a passenger, who was not injured, were found by police.
“There is nothing I can say in defense of that officer’s actions that night,” Police Chief William McManus told WOAI-TV. “I think what happened initially there was contact, but that didn’t justify the shooting.”
The video from the camera shows Cantu walking away as Brennarnd fires his gun at his vehicle.
Brennand walked over to Cantú’s brown car and called for backup, but he quickly tried to take matters into his own hands and opened the car door.
The video shows the moment when Brennand surprised Cantú and asked him to get out of the car. When Cantu questioned the officer’s orders, he attempted to reverse the car and the door traps Brennand.
Brennand quickly opened fire, firing at the driver’s side of the vehicle as Cantu backed away, and the camera footage of the body caught the officer yelling “shots fired!” on your radio
Cantú got out of the parking lot and tried to get away, but Brennand kept shooting at the rear of the vehicle.
The boys were later found outside the vehicle one block from the shooting scene.
Source: Clarin
