SAN ANTONIO – A 22-year-old man who San Antonio police say was shot twice after shooting at an officer and striking his body-worn camera has been identified.
Adrian Octavio Cardenas, 22, has been charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer following the shooting that happened Monday evening near SW Military Drive and Logwood Avenue, not far from Interstate 35. He also had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and assault resulting in bodily injury, police said.
Beforehand the shooting, officers pulled over a vehicle carrying three people, including Cardenas, due to a malfunctioning brake light, SAPD said in a preliminary investigation report.
Police said as two officers approached the vehicle, Cardenas exited and ran south on Logwood. He appeared to have a gun in his left hand, police said, and appeared to have placed it in his left pocket.
Cardenas, who was shirtless, kept his right hand in his right pocket as he fled, the report states.
Cardenas approached a driveway in the 1100 block of Grosvenor Boulevard, “took up a position” near a telephone pole and bushes, and fired at the officer, police said.
The officer was knocked down into the street after being hit in the chest, directly in the body cam. The officer returned fire, hitting Cardenas in the arm and abdomen.
After the officer took cover and gave Cardenas commands, police said, Cardenas threw a gun into the street.
The second police officer, who had stayed behind with the two other occupants in the vehicle, went to the scene after hearing gunfire and was able to place Cardenas under arrest.
Cardenas was taken to Brooke Army Medical Center for treatment, and the officer was checked out by emergency medical services at the scene.
The second officer was not injured.
“We are extremely lucky not to have a dead officer tonight,” McManus told reporters on Monday. He added that officers were working to salvage the body cam video.
The officer has a year and a half of service with the department, McManus said. The other two people in the vehicle were taken in for questioning.