A police operation on the east side of San Antonio resulted in the death of a 52-year-old Juan Antonio Hernandez, a man wanted on multiple warrants, following an exchange of gunfire with SWAT officers. Chief William McManus explained that Hernandez was initially thought to be in violation of his parole, however, a revised preliminary report indicates that Hernandez was discharged from parole in 2019. The confrontation took place after an anonymous tipster alerted police to Hernandez's location, sparking the subsequent engagement, as reported by KENS5.
According to McManus, "SWAT went down, understanding that this individual was probably dangerous based on some statements he made," an assertion made in a statement obtained by KENS5. After an hours-long standoff, Hernandez emerged from a barricaded position within a house on the 400 block of Morningview Drive and reportedly fired somewhere around four to five shots, with a handgun, at officers, striking two SWAT vehicles.
Officials stated that the SWAT officers, one with 14 years and the other with five years of service, returned fire. Hernandez was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. McManus said, "They called him out to surrender. Instead of doing that, he came out shooting." The shootout marked the 13th incident involving San Antonio police officers this year, as per the information provided by the San Antonio Police Department. No officers or bystanders were reported injured during the incident.
Details regarding Hernandez's prior offenses included sexual assault of a child, domestic violence, burglary of a habitation, and evading arrest. The events on Morningview Drive are still developing, with investigations underway to piece together the exact sequence of events that led to the fatal shooting. The two officers involved have been placed on administrative duty, which is standard protocol in such incidents, according to details provided by KSAT. Further updates are expected as more information becomes available.
