17-year-old Erik Cantú clings to life after being shot by police officer outside a McDonald’s(PHOTOS and VIDEO)

• Erik Cantú was shot by a police officer while eating in his car.
• James Brennand fired multiple shots into the young man’s car.
• The teen is still hospitalized and his family is crying out for justice.

Erik Cantu was gunned down outside a McDonalds by a Texas police officer who thought the young man was driving a stolen car. The San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) confirmed that the car the boy was driving was not stolen.

Through a statement, the SAPD confirmed on the morning of Thursday, October 13, 2022 that the vehicle 17-year-old Erik Cantú was driving had no report of theft, as stated by officer James Brennand in his radio communication with the command center during the brutal shooting.

Erik Cantú is shot while eating outside McDonald’s

Officer James Brennand, 25, was fired from his position as a police officer with the SAPD and charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon by a public servant. The officer was taken to the Bexar County Jail by his own colleagues. He was released after posting a $200,000 bond.

The first hearing in the case against now former Officer James Brennand was set for the morning of Wednesday, November 23, 2022. Meanwhile, the young Erik Cantú continues to fight for his life after the attack.

James Brennand was responding to reports of a disturbance

In the case documents, consulted by MundoNow, it is detailed that last Sunday, October 2, 2022, officer James Brennand answered an emergency call at 10:45 p.m. a reported disturbance between several boys. It is not specified who requested the police presence.

James Brennand drove to the McDonald’s located at 11700 Blanco Road, almost on the corner of West Avenue, in the north of the San Antonio metropolitan area. The officer’s body camera captured  the entire sequence of his brutal attack on Erik Cantu on video.

The policeman approached the teen with the gun in his hand

According to the SAPD report, when officer James Brennand arrived at the McDonald’s, he began gathering information from witnesses to learn details about the alleged disturbance. The officer then noticed Erik Cantú’s vehicle parked at the scene.

According to Officer James Brennand, he believed the car Erik Cantu was in had evaded a traffic stop the previous day. The McDonald’s incident was not related to the alleged traffic stop the day before.

Erik Cantú’s shooting happened in seconds

James Brennand approached Erik Cantu’s car with the gun in his right hand. With his left, the officer opened the door of the boy’s vehicle. The young Hispanic turned around surprised, with his hamburger in one hand, when he saw the officer who was pointing his gun at him.

For some reason, Erik Cantú put the car in reverse while the policeman yelled at him to stop. Officer James Brennand, seeing with the boy trying to escape, fired a round of bullets right in front of the employees and customers of the McDonald’s.

“Shots, shots!”

Erik Cantú accelerated to escape James Brennand’s shots. The officer himself took his radio and reported to central “shots, shots!” as he ran through the McDonald’s parking lot after the Hispanic boy who was fleeing into the street.

However, Erik Cantú was too injured to get very far. The boy had no weapon in the car, only his hamburger. Paramedics from San Antonio Fire Department (SAPD) responded to the scene.

Officer James Brennand was fired and then arrested

After reviewing Officer James Brennand’s body cameras and other forensic investigations by the Civil Rights Division, the SAPD fired the officer after shooting Erik Cantú. The reason for the dismissal was for «violating» tactical procedures.

After James Brennand was fired, his colleagues arrested him to answer for the charge of aggravated assault for shooting at the unarmed teen. He does not yet have a lawyer.

“Our family is in constant prayer”

Rubén Carrasco, uncle of the badly injured young man, started the GoFundMe campaign, Support for Erik Cantu, so that the community can help them pay for the medical expenses they are facing while the boy is still in intensive care due to his injuries.

“He remains in critical condition… the road ahead feels daunting. Our family is in constant prayer for his recovery. We hope you will join us in praying for the stability of his health. His injuries are serious and, although he is not out of danger yet, we are hopeful that he will progress to recovery,” says his Uncle Rubén.