BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – Erik Cantu, who has been arrested six times since he survived being shot by a police officer in 2022, made his third court appearance in three days related to a motion to revoke his probation.
Cantu returned to Bexar County’s 187th Criminal District Court just after 9:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Judge Stephanie Boyd, who presides over the court, revoked Cantu’s probation and sentenced him to two years in prison.
Watch Cantu’s full Wednesday morning court appearance below. WARNING: Some language in the video may not be suitable for all audiences.
The violations stem from two charges filed last year.
After he was sentenced to deferred adjudication regarding two evading arrest charges, Cantu was caught driving a vehicle, which was a violation of his ruling. A judge sentenced Cantu to probation and was ordered to spend time at a treatment facility.
Upon his release, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office filed a Class A misdemeanor assault charge against Cantu and arrested him again.
While he was out on bond for the assault charge, Cantu was arrested and accused of burglary of a habitation in December 2025.
Boyd also ruled that Cantu will get credit for time served, is banned from contacting his ex-girlfriend Emily Proulx and will not have any unsupervised contact with minors.
The continuation of Cantu’s hearing was originally scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. Tuesday after initially beginning on Monday.
The reason for the delay on Tuesday: Charles Bunk, the attorney representing Cantu, said an important defense witness was not present in court. Boyd granted the defense’s request.
However, Bunk said no additional witnesses were called to testify on Wednesday morning.
In his statement to the court, Bunk admitted “the evidence does support” a violation of Cantu’s probation, but he also argued his client had good reasons to do so.
“She (Proulx) had had some incidences of harassment and stalking from other people. She was very clear to point out these threats and stalking were not related to Erik (Cantu),” Bunk said. “So, at that point, he’s able to get in through the sliding glass door and check to see if she’s there. That is consistent with a father who would be concerned for the mother of his child and his child.”
Cantu, 21, is accused of breaking into Proulx’s home and stealing her tablet. Proulx has since asked the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office to drop the burglary charge.
Prosecutors said Bunk’s argument, citing text messages sent from Cantu to Proulx, doesn’t hold much water.
“‘Emily, what happened to us? You’re breaking my heart. You’re hurting me. Open the f------ door, b----,’” Cantu texted to Proulx, according to the state. “’You thought you were slick? You’re with him, you lying a-- b----. F--- you, Emily. I caught you. You better answer the phone.’”
The state argued, in those text messages to Proulx, Cantu did not refer to his 1-year-old at all.
Boyd didn’t decide on whether to revoke Cantu’s probation during the Monday hearing. Prosecutors presented hours of evidence with Proulx among the witnesses who testified.
During Monday’s hearing, GPS evidence and testimony from a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy assigned to monitor Cantu’s house arrest device indicated Cantu was at Proulx’s apartment while on house arrest.
His burglary arrest triggered Wednesday’s hearing, since Cantu was on probation and under GPS monitoring due to the evading arrest cases.
Cantu’s early December arrest was his latest brush with the law since he was shot multiple times in 2022 by ex-San Antonio police officer James Brennand in a McDonald’s parking lot.
The burglary incident happened less than a month after Cantu was sentenced to eight years of probation for violating the terms of his probation from two evading arrest cases last year.
After Cantu’s arrest, prosecutors moved to revoke his probation.
Brennand, who has been charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, is scheduled to next appear in court in mid-April.
In all, Cantu faces up to six years in prison.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
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