Erik Cantu, 17, was shot multiple times at a McDonald's carpark in San Antonio, Texas. He is still in the hospital.
According to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, the agency fired Officer James Brennand on Wednesday as a result of his conduct, which went against department methods, training, and policies.
The police officer was fired by the San Antonio Police Department after bodycam evidence showed him killing a teenager who was eating a cheeseburger in a Texas McDonald's parking lot.
Police claim that on Oct. 2, Officer Brennand was responding to a disturbance report when he observed a car he believed had sped away from him the previous evening during an attempted stop. The officer can be seen approaching the car and opening the door before he ordered Cantu out after spotting him eating a hamburger next to a female passenger.
According to the police, the officer said that the automobile door struck him as the teen began to reverse the vehicle. The cop can be seen on bodycam video firing ten shots at the moving car before pursuing it on foot. The car's passenger was unharmed during the event.
The teen is on life support and struggling for his life, according to a statement sent through his attorney.
"We thank you for the heartfelt thoughts on the status of Erik's recovery. We will inform you that he's still in critical condition and literally fighting for his life every minute of the day as his body has endured a tremendous amount of trauma," Cantu's attorney, Brian Powers, said. "He is still on life support. We need all the blessing we can receive at this time. We kindly ask for privacy beyond this update as this is a delicate moment in our lives and we are focusing on one thing and that's getting him home."
The San Antonio Police Officers' Association declined to comment after Brennand was let go from the force, but in a later statement, the union's president, Danny Diaz, said that the group will not represent Brennand because, at the time of the shooting, he had not yet served out his one-year probationary period for new officers.
"New police recruits must complete a 1-year probationary period before becoming eligible for benefits provided by the union," Diaz said. "We understand the San Antonio Police Department's decision to terminate Officer James Brennand but will refrain from further comment until a full investigation is completed."
