The grim finale of a late-night car chase in San Antonio was captured on body camera footage, showing police gunning down an armed suspect. The shooting occurred on November 27 at approximately 1 a.m., after two officers attempted to pull over a vehicle linked to a man with outstanding warrants, according to KSAT.
The patrol officers had attempted to stop a vehicle on the 4400 block of West Commerce. Footage exhibited the passenger, later identified as 45-year-old Steven Allen Lopez, exiting and fleeing. An officer can be heard threatening to "tase him" before switching tactics to definitely use lethal force once a gun was brandished. "The suspect continued to flee, turned toward the officers, and pointed a gun in their direction," detailed Fox San Antonio. The officers then shot Lopez several times, resulting in fatal injuries.
Authorities stated that Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene, with a loaded handgun found in close proximity to his body. Following the protocol for officer-involved shootings, the two officers have been placed on administrative duty pending investigation outcomes. The San Antonio Police Department and the District Attorney's Office are currently conducting reviews of the incident.
The pursuit and subsequent shooting were part of a larger effort by the officers to detain a previously flagged suspect. The chase unfolded rapidly with officers seeking to adapt in a dynamic scenario. They had responded to a suspect vehicle linked to earlier shooting reports at a local apartment complex, although it remains unclear if Lopez was directly involved in that initial incident. "Police said the second suspect drove off and abandoned the vehicle a few blocks away and was not found or identified," reported by KSAT.
The release of the video footage by the San Antonio Police Department comes amidst ongoing discussions about police transparency and use of force. The body camera videos are part of the department's approach to provide public access to critical incidents involving their officers. KSAT notes that the full footage, which includes explicit language from the involved officers, was made available with certain parts muted.
