Probationary police officer James Brennand’s position with the San Antonio Police Department was terminated after he shot an unarmed teen at McDonald’s. The incident took place around 10:45 p.m. on Sunday (Oct. 2). Newly released bodycam footage aided in Brennand’s termination.
On the night of the shooting, the officer was at the Northside McDonald’s for an unrelated call. As he was dealing with that situation, the policeman spotted a maroon vehicle sitting in the parking lot. Brennand can be heard through bodycam video saying he believes the car is the “vehicle that fled from [him] the other day.” With his weapon drawn, the cop proceeds to approach the car.
As Erik Cantu, 17, and an unnamed 17-year-old female passenger sat in the parked car, eating their McDonald’s, Brennand swung the driver’s door open and demanded Cantu “Get out of the car.” Startled, with a mouth full of food and a gun in his face, the teen asked, “Why?” Before any other words could be exchanged, the vehicle began to roll back. It is unclear if the teen was trying to flee or took his foot off of the gas accidentally during the commotion.
Immediately, Brennand began firing several rounds into Cantu’s car as it continued to roll back in the McDonald’s parking lot. “Shots fired,” the cop said repeatedly into his radio. The teen, presumably frightened, drove off. According to MySanAntonio.com, after the unprovoked shooting, Cantu was charged with evading detention and assault on a police officer.
Brennand, who’d only been with the force for seven months, untruthfully told his department he fired at the teen after Cantu’s vehicle hit him. On Wednesday (Oct. 5), the officer was relieved of his duties, according to a press release from the SAPD. After the McDonald’s shooting, the teen was taken to University Hospital in critical condition.