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Police shoot, kill man armed with knife; Taser had no effect, SAPD chief says

John Pena Montez, 57, shot and killed; allegedly threatened family with knife, police say

SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio police shot and killed a man who they say was armed with a knife and had been threatening his family.

The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the man as John Pena Montez, 57.

The shooting happened after officers answered a call listed as an “assault in progress” around 1:30 a.m. Friday.

Police say they tried using a Taser weapon twice, but it did not stop him.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus spoke to news crews afterward, saying officers found Montez on the doorstep of the home, trying to get inside.

He said he had a knife and was threatening a woman and three children inside.

After confronting him, the officers used a Taser weapon on the man but it had no effect, McManus said.

In fact, the man then broke down the door of the home, went inside and shut the door behind him, he said.

“The wife and children were screaming. Officers got in there. They tased him again. The Taser partially took effect and at that point, the officers felt compelled to use deadly force,” McManus said.

The officer fired two shots, hitting and killing the man, he said.

The woman and three children, ages 17, 13, and 7, all were inside the home at the time but were not hurt.

The chief said he would not speculate as to what transpired between the use of the Taser and the use of the gun.

At the time when he spoke to reporters, he said he had not yet seen the officer’s body camera video.

The case is still under investigation.

McManus described Montez as the estranged, common-law husband of the woman and the father of one of the children.


About the Authors

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.

Ben Spicer is a digital journalist who works the early morning shift for KSAT.

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