Screen Capture: YouTube / San Antonio Police Department
Former officer James Brennand told police he thought the car he approached had been stolen.
Former officer James Brennand told SAPD that he approached the maroon sedan driven by 17-year-old Erik Cantu because he suspected it was stolen, according to media reports. In body cam footage, Brennand is seen telling a dispatcher that he “got the vehicle that fled from me the other day.”
However, Brennand doesn't appear to wait for radio confirmation that the car had been reported stolen. Instead, the footage shows the rookie officer approach the car, fling open the door and demand that Cantu get out.
The car then rolls backward in the video, and Brennand discharges five shots. The clip also shows the former officer firing five more times as the sedan attempts to flee the parking lot.
Brennand has since been fired from the force and charged with two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant.
Cantu remains in critical condition on life support, according to his family attorney.
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