SAN ANTONIO – John Lee, a former San Antonio police officer who in 2016 shot and killed an unarmed man he believed was carrying a gun, has died, officials have confirmed.
Lee, 41, was found dead inside a home in the 900 block of Mount Rainier Drive Friday morning, according to an official with the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office.
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The official said Lee’s cause and manner of death were pending.
Lee shot and killed Antronie Scott in early February 2016 after pulling him over at the Wood Hollow Apartments near Isom and East Ramsey roads.
Lee, who was on duty and in uniform, was called in to assist undercover officers in arresting Scott, who had outstanding warrants, police said.
An object in Scott’s hand that Lee believed was a gun turned out to be a cellphone.
Bexar County DA will not reopen investigations into SAPD-involved shooting deaths of 3 men
SAPD Chief William McManus originally handed Lee an indefinite suspension, but McManus changed his mind and instead ordered Lee to undergo training.
Scott’s widow, who was in the vehicle at the time of the shooting, filed a lawsuit against SAPD, the city of San Antonio and Lee.
Federal court records show Scott’s mother also filed suit and the cases were later consolidated.
A trial date earlier this year was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, records show.
SAPD officials confirmed Friday that Lee left the department in February, but declined to release additional details since his cause of death was pending.
Scott’s case is one of three high-profile SAPD officer-involved shooting deaths that Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said last month he would not reopen.