What did James Brennand do? San Antonio cop indicted over Erik Cantu shooting

17-year-old Erik Cantu was shot on October 2, 2022, by James Brennand (28), a San Antonio police officer. The teenager was on life support and had to spend over a month in the hospital.

Brennand is facing charges of attempted murder for shooting Erik Cantu at a McDonald’s parking lot, which was decided by a jury on Thursday, December 1, 2022. Brennand is also facing charges of two counts of assault using a deadly weapon by a public official since he had reportedly been serving in the department for less than a year.

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James Brennand faces charges in Erik Cantu shooting case

Recently fired San Antonio cop James Brennand was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday. On October 2, Brennand shot rounds at Erik Cantu that injured him severely. He was arrested on October 11, 2022, and fired from the department soon after the incident. Chief William McManus of SAPD described Brennand’s actions to be “unjustified.”

The teenager sustained injuries in the liver, lungs, stomach, diaphragm, forearm, and biceps. He spent a significant amount of time on life support.

District Attorney Joe Gonzales said:

“When an officer uses unnecessary and unjustified force, the trust between law enforcement and our community is rattled. We are going to do everything possible to see that justice is done for Erik and the rest of his family.”

The civil rights department of the District Attorney’s office will reportedly be handling Erik Cantu's case. Gonzales also mentioned that James Brennand could face life imprisonment if convicted of the incident.

He added:

“We are comfortable with our evidence to date. And we are confident to pursue that evidence to whatever end that takes whether it be a resolution of agreement or a trial. Justice means obtaining a conviction. Justice means making sure that man never works as a member of law enforcement, making sure that man never has a gun or a badge. Justice means seeking appropriate punishment.”

Netizens have condemned Brennand’s actions and have shown immense support for Erik Cantu's family.

Brennand’s attorney feels his client has not been heard completely

In his statement, Joe Gonzales continued stating:

“We know that most officers in this city care deeply about this community, but we cannot have a safe city if the community does not have trust in the criminal justice system.”

Not just the District Attorney, but other activist groups are also supporting Erik Cantu’s family. Ananda Tomas, a member of one such group, had been demanding justice for the mishap. She was happy with the decision taken by the grand jury and said:

“I think this is part of the community saying we are tired of not having accountability. And we are tired of police brutality.”

Speaking about the response from the authorities, Tomas stated:

“Both the DA's office, as well as the police chief, really being gung-ho and acting so fiercely on a case of police brutality- and I am hoping this is showing a shift.”

Cantu’s family attorney Ben Crump mentioned that the family is relieved that Brennand is facing charges, and that they have a long way to go to get justice for Erik. Crump also believed that Erik had been ‘racially profiled’ by the former cop before getting shot.

Nico LaHood, one of Brennand’s attorneys believes that there has been a “rush to judgment attitude,” and that the former cop had not been heard well yet. He added,

“We anticipate more information will be revealed that will further shed light on this incident.”

Erik Cantu was discharged from the hospital just a week ago after being on a ventilator for a long period of time.

Police authorities believe that James Brennand violated proper procedure while approaching Cantu’s car in the parking lot the night of the shooting. Brennand reportedly mentioned that he thought that Erik Cantu was driving a stolen car.

He approached the car and saw Cantu and another female eating food, and asked them to come out of the vehicle.

Erik put the car in reverse while the door was not closed. The door hit the former San Antonio officer, who then opened fire. Erik tried to drive away, but James did not stop firing.

Cops later confirmed that his car was not stolen.