A teenaged boy was shot multiple times after an officer set his sights on him while out on an unrelated call at a McDonald’s located in San Antonia, TX.
According to USA Today, around 10:45pm – Officer James Brennand arrived at the McDonald’s on a disturbance call.
As the officer engaged with witnesses for the dispute – he noticed a car in the parking lot that he had seen from an ‘almost’ encounter the previous day.
The car allegedly had a registration that didn’t match the license plate on the car. When the officer attempted to engage, the car had evaded pursuit.
Brennand approached the ‘suspicious’ car and 17 year old, Eric Cantuu sitting inside, eating a cheeseburger from McDonald’s.
A female passenger of the same age was likely doing the same.
The officer threw open the door to the car and ordered the teen out.
Body cam footage captured the teen boy, cheeseburger in hand.
He backed the car up in response to the officer’s demand and struck him with the door as he went.
As Cantuu drove away, Brennand fired multiple shots at the car and it’s occupants.
The teen didn’t get very far…being wounded by the hail of bullets, and the car came to a stop close to the McDonalds.
The officer was fired for what transpired and the police chief told reporters:
“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 some contact made, but that did not justify the shooting.”
The officer had been on the force for less than a year, and was still in a probationary period.
He had disregarded procedure by not waiting for backup which ended up costing him his badge.
Eric Cantuu has yet to be charged with anything and there’s a good chance that there is nothing to charge him with:
“…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.
Cantuu’s gunshot wounds are reportedly non-life threatening and he remains in stable condition.
There’s no word on if Cantuu was able to finish the cheeseburger, or what became of it in the confusion.
