San Antonio cop is fired after sneaking up on teenage couple and shooting startled driver

A San Antonio cop was fired on Wednesday after he shot a teenager eating in a McDonald’s parking lot – with body cam footage showing the harrowing moment the officer opened fire. 

Erik Cantu, 17, remains in hospital with multiple gunshot wounds and his condition is unclear. 

James Brennand, a probationary police officer who served on the force for only seven months, was dismissed after being placed on administrative duty.

Brennand was called to the McDonald’s for a reported disturbance before he noticed Cantu’s car outside the restaurant. 

The officer thought the car was the same one that evaded him the night before when he attempted to stop the vehicle as the registered license plate didn’t match the vehicle. 

Brennand approached Cantu’s maroon car and called for cover, but quickly tried to take matters into his own hands and opened the car door. 

Police have not confirmed whether Cantu’s car was stolen. 

He found a terrified Cantu inside the car along with a female passenger and ordered him to ‘get out of the car,’ but the frightened teen attempted to reverse the car

 When Cantu reversed, the door of the vehicle reportedly hit Brennand, and the cop then draws his gun and immediately starts firing on the teen couple

Brennand shoots the drivers side window repeatedly and shouts ‘shots fired’ into his radio, and Cantu attempts to drive away

He surprised Cantu who was eating food next to a 17-year-old female passenger, and demanded the teen get out of the car.

As Cantu questioned the officer’s orders, he attempted to put the car in reverse and the door catches Brennand.

Brennand, who has not yet been charged with a crime, quickly opened fire and shot into the driver’s side of the vehicle as Cantu reversed, and the bodycam footage caught the cop shouting ‘shots fired!’ into his radio. 

Cantu pulled out of the parking spot and tried to drive away, but Brennand continued shooting into the back of the vehicle.

The teens were then found outside the vehicle a block away from the shooting, and Cantu suffered multiple gunshot wounds and was rushed to University Hospital.

Even as Cantu drove away, Brennand keeps shooting into the vehicle

The police report stated Brennand performed CPR on Cantu when he caught up, and the female passenger in the car was uninjured. 

Cantu was even charged by proxy with evading detention in a vehicle and assault on an officer. 

Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales said the investigation could take up to a year, and ‘the DA’s Office will also review all evidence related to the charges against Erik Cantu once we have received it.’

Brennand is no stranger to shooting – he placed fourth in the ‘firearms’ category in his police cadet class in 2021, according to a Facebook post.