Former SAPD officer James Brennand points a weapon at a maroon BMW driven by Erik Cantu on Oct. 22, 2022. Credit: Screen Capture: YouTube / San Antonio Police Department

The trial of James Brennand, a former San Antonio cop accused of shooting a teenager in a McDonald’s parking lot, gets underway Monday, records show.

Brennand faces two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant in relation to the 2022 shooting of Erik Cantu, an incident captured on body-cam video that went on to make international headlines.

Cantu, then 17, faced weeks in the hospital recovering form multiple gunshot wounds. Brennand was fired from the force.

Initially, Brennand also faced one count of attempted murder over the shooting. However, the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office last year replaced that charge with the lesser one of deadly conduct.

Under the Texas Penal Code, Brennand could face five years to life in prison if convicted of the revised charges.

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This article appears in Apr 2-15, 2025.

Sanford Nowlin is editor-in-chief of the San Antonio Current. He holds degrees from Trinity University and the University of Texas at San Antonio, and his work has been featured in Salon, Alternet, Creative...