Chief: Man shot in leg by Balcones Heights officer after he ‘made a sudden movement’ to grab pipe

No gun found on man, who was taken to hospital in stable condition

SAN ANTONIO – A man was shot by a Balcones Heights police officer Thursday morning after he displayed what they believed was a gun.

Balcones Heights Police Chief John Jahanara said at the scene that the man was shot in the leg after he appeared to reach for a makeshift piece of pipe that appeared to officers to resemble a gun.

Officers first made contact with the man around 7:15 a.m. Thursday after residents at the Spanish Keys Apartments, in the 1100 block of Babcock Road, reported seeing him making threats and waving a weapon, which they also believed to be a gun.

When two officers arrived, the man wedged himself in between two vehicles in an effort to avoid police, Jahanara said.

The chief said the man did not display his hands to police when prompted.

The two officers fired about five rounds when the man “made a sudden movement to grab a weapon,” Jahanara said.

One bullet struck the man in his right knee. He was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition.

Jahanara said the man, who did not have a gun on him, is refusing to identify himself.

One Balcones Heights police officer involved in the shooting is a veteran of about 18 years, and the other has been on the force for about nine years, Jahanara said.

Jahanara said the department will review body camera footage.

This is a developing story and it will be updated as more information.


About the Authors:

Rebecca Salinas is an award-winning digital journalist who joined KSAT in 2019. She reports on a variety of topics for KSAT 12 News.

Alicia Barrera is a KSAT 12 News reporter and anchor. She is also a co-host of the streaming show KSAT News Now. Alicia is a first-generation Mexican-American, fluent in both Spanish and English with a bachelor's degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. She enjoys reading books, traveling solo across Mexico and spending time with family.