SAN ANTONIO – Just one day after San Antonio police Officer Julio Cavazos was shot while on duty, the San Antonio community rallied behind the injured officer by donating a countless number of gifts for his daughter’s sixth birthday.
Pictures shared on social media show presents filling hallways at the department’s Central Substation where the 36-year-old Cavazos, a nine-year veteran, is assigned to Central Patrol B Shift.
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The community responded to the call after the San Antonio Police Department announced it was conducting a toy drive for Cavazos’ daughter while he was recovering from his wounds sustained Thursday in a shootout with a suspect identified as 34-year-old Andrew Bice.
Cavazos and his partner Miguel Moreno – who was also assigned to the same shift – were responding to a suspicious-person call and approached two suspects in the 200 block of West Evergreen Street, just north of downtown.
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As the two officers exited their patrol vehicle, Bice opened fire on them killing Moreno, 32, also a nine-year veteran, and wounding Cavazos in the chin.
Despite being wounded, Cavazos was able to return fire at the shooter while responding officers apprehended the second suspect, identified as 30-year-old William Lawson.
As Cavazos recovered from surgery at San Antonio Military Medical Center, his substation was receiving a stream of gifts from members of the community for his daughter, who turned 6 on Friday.
Thank you too all who made the time to drop off a gift for Officer Cavazos' daughter this weekend. #SAPD #thinblueline #sanantonio
Posted by San Antonio Police Department on Saturday, July 1, 2017
The SAPD said the officers on central patrol who were accepting the donations until Sunday wanted to say, “Thank you to all the great people of the community who took the time to donate gifts to make sure that Officer Cavazos’ daughter could celebrate her birthday.”
The department said it has “no doubts that all the love and well wishes helped him in his recovery.”
Thank you too all who made the time to drop off a gift for Officer Cavazos' daughter this weekend. #SAPD #thinblueline #sanantonio
Posted by San Antonio Police Department on Saturday, July 1, 2017
After the amount of outpouring support by the community, SAPD it was “humbled but not surprised” by the love and assistance from the community.
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The SAPD said every gift donated to the Central Substation is going straight to Cavazos’ daughter.
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