Former San Antonio police officer James Brennand is due back in a Bexar County courtroom Monday morning for what could be his final pretrial hearing in the October 2022 shooting of then-17-year-old Erik Cantu. The hearing is set on the 9 a.m. docket after months of motions and discovery fights. Brennand is charged with aggravated assault by a public servant, a first-degree felony that carries a potential sentence of up to life in prison if he is convicted.
As reported by KSAT, Brennand is expected to appear on the 9 a.m. docket, and the station says it will livestream the hearing in its article. KSAT also reports that jury selection in the case is currently set to begin July 21.
Judge allows limited access to SAPD internal affairs files
State District Judge Joel Perez signed a protective order on May 11 that allows selected San Antonio Police Department internal affairs records to be turned over to Brennand’s defense team, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The city had moved to block the request, and attorneys on both sides have been battling over how broadly department files can be used at trial.
Charges, evidence and what changed since indictment
Prosecutors point to body-worn camera video that shows Brennand opening the driver-side door of Cantu’s vehicle and firing multiple shots as the teen drives away. That footage has been central to news coverage and to arguments in court ahead of trial.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s office said a December 2022 grand jury initially returned an indictment that included two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant and one count of attempted murder. Court records and later reporting show that the attempted murder count was removed, and the case is now proceeding solely on aggravated assault charges, according to the DA’s office and KSAT.
What to expect at Monday’s hearing
The San Antonio Express-News reports that earlier pretrial hearings have turned into heated debates over discovery, a possible change of venue and limits on what jurors will be allowed to hear. Those same issues could be back on full display Monday. If the July 21 schedule holds, jurors could be seated next month, with testimony to follow soon after.
Background and impact
Cantu was 17 when he was shot, and prosecutors and the DA’s office said he was critically wounded and spent weeks in the hospital after the October 2022 incident. The case has drawn sustained local and national attention, and rulings at Monday’s hearing could determine which internal records and which testimony ultimately reach the jury.
Decisions at this pretrial stage will help shape how the July trial unfolds and what evidence jurors are allowed to weigh. We will continue to follow developments as the case moves toward jury selection.
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