Lawyer: Teen shot by San Antonio cop released from hospital
A teen shot by a San Antonio police officer as he put his car in reverse while eating a hamburger has been released from the hospital
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A teen shot by a San Antonio police officer as he put his car in reverse while eating a hamburger has been released after weeks in a hospital, his family's lawyer said Wednesday.
Erik Cantu was allowed to go home nearly two months after he was shot in a McDonald’s parking lot, according to a statement from attorney Ben Crump. The 17-year-old's parents said they're “overjoyed at his progress in the past two weeks,” but that he “still has a long road to recovery.”
Cantu was shot on Oct. 2 by Officer James Brennand, who police later said was responding to an unrelated disturbance when he saw Cantu inside a car that he believed had evaded him the day before during an attempted traffic stop.
After the shooting, the 27-year-old rookie officer was fired and charged with two counts of aggravated assault by a public official. Police said Brennand violated his training and police procedures after approaching the car, which they said he believed to have been stolen. Although the car's registration plates didn’t match the vehicle, the car was not stolen, according to police.
In body camera footage released by police, Brennand opens the car door and tells Cantu to get out. The car drives backward with the door open, and the officer fires multiple times into the vehicle. He continues to shoot as the car drives away.