In a significant blow to the Bexar County District Attorney's pursuit of justice, a mistrial has been announced in the case of ex-San Antonio police officer Oscar Cruz Jr., who faced charges for shooting at two teens in 2020, as per KENS 5. The discarded trial pressing disclosure mishap after the defense team was left in the dark about certain evidence—a third-degree felony punishable by two to ten years imprisonment and potential fines up to $10,000.
Cruz, accused of lethal conduct during an incident where teens Elijah Jordan and Cruz Benavidez were allegedly fired upon while attempting to escape, was indicted back in February 2022. The details of the case initially unfolded by KSAT paint a disturbing image of an officer who not only disregarded procedure by using lethal force against fleeing suspects but also demonstrated a troubling history of misconduct, including an occasion where Cruz's disregard for safety led to a pedestrian being struck by his patrol vehicle.
The trial, expected to commence in the 399th District Court, foundered amid revelations that the Civil Rights Division of the DA's office had not been briefed on certain information held by the Juvenile Division, leading to an immediate declaration of mistrial once the oversight came to light. Joe Gonzales, the District Attorney, affirmed his commitment to rectitude stating, "Our ultimate goal is to seek justice," in a release obtained by KENS 5, emphasizing the import of full disclosure to ensure fairness in the legal arena.
Further probing into the prior acts of Cruz uncovered a history of infractions including a suspension in 2018 for vehicular misconduct and using the muzzle of his gun to improperly signal a responding officer, a pattern of reckless judgement that, in the original incident, escalated to Cruz issuing a harrowing ultimatum captured on his bodycam: "stop running or I will f—ing shoot you," as reported by KSAT. With the fallout from these revelations, the DA's office is currently reevaluating its disclosure processes to prevent future lapses and Cruz's case is slated for a later trial date.
