BEXAR COUNTY – A 16-year-old was shot by a Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy on Saturday after he rammed a stolen vehicle into a patrol unit.
The teen then led deputies on a chase on the county’s West Side before he was taken into custody, according to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
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It all started when BCSO received a report from someone who found a gun in a stairwell of an apartment complex just before 8:30 a.m. on Saturday in the 11400 block of Culebra Road.
Before the deputies arrived on the scene, the caller said someone came to retrieve the gun from the stairwell.
Within the same few minutes, another resident called officials and said her car was being blocked by a white SUV that had a box of bullets inside.
Upon arrival, BCSO deputies confirmed the SUV was stolen from San Antonio.
A 16-year-old boy and two girls then approached the deputies and had a discussion.
BCSO says that’s when deputies made the decision to detain the teen as they believed he was involved with the stolen handgun.
The teen ran away from deputies through a breezeway and circled back to the SUV. He got behind the wheel and rammed a patrol car and another vehicle before speeding away, Salazar said.
The sheriff said that’s when one of the deputies fired shots into the vehicle.
The deputies pursued the teen in the stolen vehicle until he crashed into some trees in a cul-de-sac and ran into a wooded area.
A resident called to report hearing noises from under her desk, and deputies followed a trail of blood to her backyard where they found the suspect hiding.
The teen had a gunshot wound to his lower extremity, Salazar said.
Salazar said the teen had a criminal history, including narcotics and weapons charges and had outstanding warrants.
He will be charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer, evading arrest in a vehicle, and possession.
BCSO is not naming the suspect because he is a minor.
Salazar said that during their search for the teen, deputies received another call for an armed suspect on the run and deputies initially believed the two were connected. However, they later determined that it was “another armed suspect, clearly another dangerous situation.”
They did issue an active scene alert and reverse 911 calls Saturday morning to warm those in the area of the suspect. As of Saturday afternoon, Salazar says there is no longer a threat to the community.