San Antonio was the site of a harrowing encounter last Saturday when a police operation escalated into violence. James Andrew Woerner, 38, who was already sought by authorities for several felony warrants, is now accused of exacerbating his legal troubles by assaulting a public servant with a dangerous chemical and throwing Molotov cocktails at the police officers trying to apprehend him. This information comes according to an arrest affidavit and is subsequently reported by KENS 5.
Prior to the encounter, Woerner reportedly assaulted his own mother, resulting in some of the warrants for his arrest. The situation intensified when Woerner’s father informed police that his son had threatened to attack officers with "nitric acid." According to court records noted by KSAT News, during the arrest attempt on the 900 block of East Sonterra Boulevard, Woerner indeed followed through on his threats, causing minor injuries to three officers, although they are expected to recover.
Chaos ensued when the acidic substance thrown by Woerner hit an officer and also the ground, where it started to "sizzle," as mentioned in the arrest affidavit. Amid this commotion, Woerner was quoted yelling, "everyone is going to die," indicating a dire situation for all parties involved, as per KSAT. He then escalated the attack using a makeshift explosive device, a Molotov cocktail, in what seemed to be a further attempt to cause harm or evade arrest.
Despite the initial assault, and a momentary escape where Woerner barricaded himself inside a building at the Sonterra Blue Apartments, SWAT teams were successful in securing his capture. KENS 5 reports that in the aftermath of this fraught encounter, Woerner now faces a litany of charges, with bond set at $40,000, the severity of the situation reflected in the high stakes of his bail.
