San Antonio police release incident video of officers shooting man during disturbance at West Side motel

Suspect identified as Jose Iruegas, 44

Jose Iruegas, 44, was shot by two police officers on Jan. 4, 2023 after threatening people with a gun at a West Side motel. (BCSO/KSAT)

SAN ANTONIOEditor’s Note: The video provided by SAPD may have images that are not suitable for all ages. Viewer discretion is advised.

The San Antonio Police Department has released a critical incident video in which two officers shot and wounded a man at a West Side Motel in early January.

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Jose Iruegas, 44, was shot by police after he allegedly threatened people with a gun and then pointed that gun at an officer.

According to SAPD, they were called to the Luxury Inn in the 1400 block of Culebra Road at about 8:30 p.m. on Jan. 4 for reports of a man threatening people with a gun in the parking lot.

When officers arrived, a witness told them that the man had gone to his room on the motel’s second floor.

“I’m going to knock on 112,” Officer Joshua Nicholson could be heard saying to his partner in the video.

When Nicholson knocked on the door and announced that he was a police officer, Iruegas opened the door with the gun in his hand, SAPD officials said.

“Drop the gun!” Nicholson ordered Iruegas.

Iruegas then lifted his arm and pointed the gun at the officer instead.

Both Nicholson and Officer Ryan Tovar opened fire on Iruegas, striking him multiple times, according to SAPD. A man could then be heard crying in pain in the critical incident video before it cuts off.

The gun collected at the scene was later identified as a BB gun, charging paperwork obtained by KSAT Investigates shows.

Iruegas was taken to the hospital in critical condition and booked by proxy on two felony charges of Terroristic Threats Against a Police Officer.

The investigation findings will be sent to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office for review.

Once Iruegas is transferred to jail, his bonds will total $100,000.

Bexar County Court records show that Iruegas has a criminal record for arrests that include assault, burglary theft and drug possession dating back to 1998.

The motel where the shooting took place has seen its share of police activity in recent months.

In July, members of the U. S. Marshal’s Lone Star Fugitive Task Force kicked in the door of a second-floor room at the Luxury Inn and arrested capital murder suspect Juan Antonio Reyes, 24.

Since June of last year, SAPD officers also have been called to the motel more than half a dozen times, mostly for disturbances.


About the Authors:

Julie Moreno has worked in local television news for more than 25 years. She came to KSAT as a news producer in 2000. After producing thousands of newscasts, she transitioned to the digital team in 2015. She writes on a wide variety of topics from breaking news to trending stories and manages KSAT’s daily digital content strategy.

Katrina Webber joined KSAT 12 in December 2009. She reports for Good Morning San Antonio. Katrina was born and raised in Queens, NY, but after living in Gulf Coast states for the past decade, she feels right at home in Texas. It's not unusual to find her singing karaoke or leading a song with her church choir when she's not on-air.