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Erik Cantu, other teen in car during shooting by SAPD officer arrested for theft

Teen survived being shot by SAPD Officer James Brennand in McDonald’s parking lot in early October; Brennand indicted late last year

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio teenager shot multiple times by an SAPD officer and a teen girl in his car at the time of the October 2022 incident have both been charged with theft in an unrelated incident, court records show.

Erik Cantu and Emily Proulx were taken into custody by San Antonio police on June 28, booking records show.

San Antonio police responded to a Wal-Mart in the 8500 block of Jones Maltsberger, near Loop 410, for a report of items being stolen from its automotive section.

The items included a car charger and air freshener and were concealed in a purse, charging records obtained by KSAT show.

Cantu and Proulx each face a misdemeanor charge of theft between $100 and $750.

Cantu, 18, spent time on life support after suffering injuries to his stomach, diaphragm, lungs, liver, bicep and forearm after he was shot by San Antonio Police Department officer James Brennand on Oct. 2.

Brennand, who was at a McDonald’s on Blanco Road for an unrelated disturbance call, approached Cantu’s vehicle after recognizing it from a high-speed evading incident the night before.

A short clip of body-worn camera footage released by SAPD days after the shooting shows that Brennand did not announce himself as an officer before opening the door of Cantu’s vehicle.

Brennand repeatedly fired his service weapon at Cantu’s car as it backed out of the parking spot.

Proulx, 18, was uninjured in the shooting.

She later told SAPD investigators she was hesitant to ride with Cantu after he evaded police the night before.

Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and evading arrest charges against Cantu were dismissed days after the shooting.

Brennand was fired by SAPD days after the shooting.

Brennand was indicted by a Bexar County grand jury late last year on two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and one count of attempted murder.

He has a tentative trial date set for Aug. 21, court records show.

Cantu, who has since been released from jail on a $800 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned July 31 in County Court 15.

His attorney did not respond to a phone call seeking comment Friday.

Proulx, who has also since been released on $800 bond, is scheduled to be arraigned July 31 in County Court 5.

Proulx’s defense attorney declined to comment Friday when reached via telephone and said she was unaware that her client was a possible victim in the October 2022 shooting incident.

Ben Crump, a prominent civil rights attorney who represents both Cantu and Proulx in anticipated litigation against Brennand and SAPD, did not respond to a request from KSAT seeking comment Friday.


About the Author
Dillon Collier headshot

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.

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