BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – The trial for three former San Antonio police officers charged in the 2023 shooting death of Melissa Perez continued Monday with the defense questioning the state’s theory that the officers acted without justification.
Perez was killed on June 23, 2023, after police officers were called to her Southwest Side apartment for what SAPD Chief William McManus previously described as a mental health crisis.
According to police, Perez had cut fire alarm wires at her apartment complex, which caused San Antonio firefighters to first respond to the scene.
When officers arrived to question her, she ran inside her unit and later swung a hammer toward them as they tried to enter through her patio window.
Former SAPD officers Alfred Flores, Eleazar Alejandro and Nathaniel Villalobos then fired their weapons into the apartment, killing Perez.
During Monday’s testimony, SAPD officer Andrew Chernak, who was also on the scene that night, told jurors he believed the officers on the patio were justified in their actions.
“Based upon the assault on SAPD officer (Jonathan) Salinas, (that) gave us grounds to go in,” Chernak testified. “So, you know, like I said, we had a legal right to enter that apartment.”
Chernak said he did not witness the shooting itself but supported the decision to enter the apartment.
So far, two of the state’s own witnesses have testified they believe the officers were justified in using deadly force because Perez had committed a crime, a point the defense has emphasized repeatedly throughout the trial.
Defense attorneys have described the state’s case as “falling off a cliff.”
If convicted, Flores, Alejandro and Villalobos each face up to life in prison. Testimony is expected to continue on Tuesday afternoon.
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