Judge rules San Antonio cop charged in Erik Cantu shooting will be tried in Bexar County

The former San Antonio police officer charged with shooting unarmed teenager Erik Cantu in a McDonald’s parking two years ago will be tried in Bexar County, a judge ruled Wednesday.

James Brennand, the one-time officer, faces two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and one of count deadly conduct in relation to the October 2022 shooting. The incident made international headlines and drew outrage from police-accountability advocates.

Brennand’s defense team argued the ubiquitous media coverage makes it impossible for their client to receive a fair trial in Bexar County. During Wednesday’s hearing, his attorneys presented 437th District Court Judge Joel Perez with a binder containing 140 pages of news clips and articles about the case, TV station KSAT reports.

However, the state successfully argued that any juror in the nation would likely have heard about the case due to its high level of coverage, according to KSAT. Prosecutors maintained that any potential jury hypothetically could be tainted or influenced due to the high-profile nature of the incident.

Brennand’s attorney and state prosecutors will begin negotiating on a trial date with jury selection scheduled to begin in November, according to the Express-News.

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This article appears in Mar 20 – Apr 2, 2024.