Former SAPD Officer who shot teen outside McDonald’s in court Friday for hearing

James Brennand facing multiple charges in connection with shooting

SAN ANTONIO – A former San Antonio police officer accused of shooting a teenager in a McDonald’s parking lot in early October was in court on Friday morning.

The hearing was James Brennand’s first initial court setting.

Brennand’s attorney, Nico LaHood, and assistant district attorney Daryl Harris conferred briefly about the case and the exchange of evidence.

Brennand was arrested in October, less than two weeks after shooting 17-year-old Erik Cantu multiple times and firing toward Cantu’s teenage passenger while they were inside a vehicle in a North Side McDonald’s parking lot.

The passenger was uninjured. Cantu, however, spent weeks on life support after suffering injuries to his stomach, diaphragm, lungs, liver, bicep and forearm.

Brennand, an SAPD probationary officer who had been on the force for about seven months, was fired days after the shooting for violating departmental tactics and procedures.

Body-worn camera footage released by SAPD showed Brennand approaching Cantu’s car after believing it had evaded him the night before as he attempted to pull it over.

You can watch the video released by SAPD of the shooting below. WARNING: Video is graphic and viewer discretion is advised.

Brennand was indicted in December on two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and one count of attempted murder.

The first count of aggravated assault is for shooting Cantu and the second count is for shooting at or in the direction of another victim in Cantu’s vehicle, District Attorney Joe Gonzales said during a press conference in December.

The charge is a first-degree felony with a punishment between five years and life in prison.

The attempted murder charge is a second-degree felony with a punishment between two years and 20 years in prison.

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About the Authors
Erica Hernandez headshot

Erica Hernandez is an Emmy award-winning journalist with 15 years of experience in the broadcast news business. Erica has covered a wide array of stories all over Central and South Texas. She's currently the court reporter and cohost of the podcast Texas Crime Stories.

Misael Gomez headshot

Misael started at KSAT-TV as a photojournalist in 1987.

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