SAN ANTONIO – A tense and chaotic scene unfolded on the West Side on Monday afternoon after three San Antonio police officers shot and killed a 27-year-old man who Police Chief William McManus said pulled a gun on them.
McManus said the officers were on routine patrol in the vicinity of North Hamilton and West Laurel, near Woodlawn Lake Park, when they came across the man, who family members identified as Kevin Johnson.
The officers tried to stop him, but he ran and at some point pulled a gun from his waistband, McManus said.
“At what point the officers shot, I don’t know because again I haven’t seen the body cam,” McManus said.
McManus said the man was wanted on two felony warrants, including assault of a police officer and felony possession of a firearm.
The officers involved in the shooting have been with the department for 4, 5 and 16 years, McManus said. The officers will be placed on administrative duty as per department policy.
McManus said he didn’t know how many rounds the officers fired, but a woman, Jasmine Johnson, who described herself as Johnson’s sister said he was shot nine times.
”He’s not a bad person, so there’s no reason why this should have happened. I mean nobody deserves to get shot in the back 9 times for christ’s sake,” Jasmine said, visibly upset.
McManus said a weapon was recovered.
At one point, police tossed pepper spray at the angry crowd, including the mother of the victim, who family members said is suffering from breast cancer. She was on the floor, unable to breathe while family members attempted to get EMS to help her.
The mother, Arlene Garcia, was later seen hugging her daughter, and both told KSAT they just want answers about what led up to the shooting of their loved one.
”They shot my son from behind, and that’s wrong. They shot him nine times, and nobody here has nothing to say to me. Nobody has nothing to say,” Garcia said, gesturing towards the line of officers.
Johnson’s father was seen trying to rush officers, but people in the crowd held him back.
The crowd started to become irate with police officers and even started to chant obscenities. More people were pepper-sprayed, and some members of the crowd could be seen trying to wash it off with bottled water.
As some officers tried to leave, the crowd dispersed and surrounded an SAPD unit and were banging on the windows before the officer eventually drove off. One of the SAPD vehicles also had its tires slashed.
Several people were detained by police and taken from the scene.
We’ll have more information on this incident as it becomes available.