SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio police officer shot a suspect during a foot chase after the suspect shot the officer’s body camera, Police Chief William McManus said.
The shooting happened near the 7000 block of I-35 South on Monday evening.
McManus said two officers on patrol pulled over a vehicle with three people inside during a traffic stop. He said one of the passengers, a 22-year-old man, got out of the vehicle and ran from officers.
One officer chased the man on foot and ended up in a nearby driveway. When the suspect got to the driveway, he started shooting at the officer, McManus said.
At one point, the suspect ran out of bullets and pulled out a second weapon and continued to shoot at the officer, according to McManus.
The chief said the officer was hit directly in the body cam during the exchange of gunfire. McManus said the officer was knocked down and returned fire, shooting the suspect in the arm and abdomen.
McManus said the suspect was taken to the hospital, and his condition is unknown. The bullet that hit the officer’s body cam did not directly hit the officer, but he was checked out by medical personnel at the scene, the chief said.
“We are extremely lucky not to have a dead officer tonight,” McManus told reporters.
McManus said the suspect had felony and misdemeanor warrants and will face attempted capital murder charged for the shooting.
McManus said officers were working to salvage the body cam video leading up to the shooting.
The other two people in the vehicle were taken in for questioning.
The officer has a year and a half of service with the department, McManus said. The second officer was not injured.
He stressed that the information he gave Monday night is preliminary and is subject to change.
