The Texas cop who shot a teenager in a McDonald’s parking lot after confusing him for somebody else was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant Tuesday.
And those charges may be upgraded to murder if the teenager dies.
James Brennand, 25, was only seven months on the job as a San Antonio police officer when he approached the car,, opened its door and ordered the driver to get out on October 2, believing it was the same car and driver that had evaded him the night before.
Erik Cantu, the 17-year-old boy sitting in the driver’s side, appeared startled and asked why he was being ordered to step out. He then placed the car in reverse and began backing out of the parking lot.
Brennand responded by shooting ten times as the car drove out of the parking lot. He then claimed he was in fear for his life because he was struck by Cantu’s car.
But body camera footage shows his life was never in danger which is why the rookie cop was fired and arrested.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus stated the following to CNN:
“We have a policy that prohibits officers from shooting at vehicles, moving vehicles, except if their life is in immediate – their life or someone else’s life – is in immediate danger. When I saw it, the location of the bullet holes, I had an issue with it right away. You can tell by looking at the vehicles, which way the vehicle is moving when the shots are fired, and this vehicle, it was very telling to me, that this vehicle was moving away from the officer, and moving parallel with the officer, so it was pretty clear to me at that point that we were going to have an issue.”
Cantu, meanwhile, remains on life support at a local hospital with hospitalized with bullet wounds to several organs, including his lungs, according to Brian Powers, an attorney for Cantu’s family, who issued the following statement to the media.
“Erik is still in critical condition and is being monitored closely. Surgeries were performed to repair injures to a few major organs as a result of the penetration of multiple bullets. Erik is currently on a life support system that is keeping his lungs operating and remains on a vast amount of sedatives to hopefully ease the discomfort and pain.
He has a great medical staff that has been working diligently around the clock to provide him great care. Erik is struggling and we know that recovery will not be easy for him. Every moment is critical and the uncertainly is quite painful. We ask that everyone please keep Erik in your thoughts and prayers.”
The teen was initially charged with assault on a peace officer and evading detention but those charges have been dismissed by the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office. Cantu’s friend, a 17-year-old sitting in the passenger seat, was not struck by bullets.
Watch the video below.