SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department on Saturday released body camera footage of three recent shootings involving agency personnel, all of which resulted in officers killing the suspects they were pursuing.
Investigations into each incident remain ongoing. The confrontations came during a particularly dangerous stretch for SAPD, in which officers were caught up in five separate run-ins with wanted suspects that resulted in gunfire over a two-week span.
*Warning: The footage provided by SAPD below contains profane language and some graphic material.
Highway shootout on east side
On the afternoon of August 30, less than a week after police engaged in an hours-long apprehension of a repeat offender who shot at two officers, SAPD was tracking 40-year-old Michael Kirkland in the area of I-10 and New Braunfels.
When Kirkland noticed them, police said on that day, he took drastic measures to escape, allegedly shooting at commuters in an attempt to stop and carjack them.
The newly released video provides more context for the incident, showing police starting to follow a car Kirkland was in through a neighborhood just south of the highway confrontation. The footage shows the car briefly stopped and the driver, a woman, getting out, before police said Kirkland jumped into the front and drove away.
The suspect continued to evade police and eventually turned into oncoming traffic along the I-10 East access road, where he can be seen driving through a red light and crashing into a civilian's car before proceeding to flee on foot.
SAPD says Kirkland fired multiple rounds at pursuing officers, hitting one of them in the arm. Footage provided by the department shows officers setting up on an embankment along the highway as gunfire is heard in the background.
At the same time, Kirkland can be seen running through highway traffic and pointing his gun at vehicles.
Two officers can be seen shooting at Kirkland from the access road, killing him. The officer who was shot in the arm was taken to a local hospital in stable condition.
Late-night confrontation outside west-side Home Depot
Just hours after the deadly run-in at I-10 and South New Braunfels, police said undercover detectives tracked a vehicle burglary suspect, 21-year-old Victor Fernandez, to the parking lot of a west-side Home Depot. SAPD officials on that night said a detective ended up shot, later clarifying that he shot himself by accident while pulling out his firearm.
Footage provided by SAPD shows police starting to follow the suspect vehicle in an unmarked patrol unit before it arrived at the parking lot. The suspect can be seen leaving his car, followed closely by multiple officers.
SAPD says Fernandez "reached into his clothing and retrieved a handgun"; the footage later shows what could be a gun in his right hand as he's running away.
A detective's body camera video shows that detective falling to the ground after police said he accidentally shot himself. Footage from another officer's body camera then shows that officer audibly firing at Fernandez multiple times as he continued to flee.
SAPD says Fernandez was pronounced dead at the scene.
A second suspect attempted to flee but was quickly apprehended by police. The undercover detective was transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
SAPD shoots, kills aggravated robbery suspect
On Labor Day evening, SAPD said officers were trying to apprehend a man wanted for aggravated robbery when he may have fired at police, resulting in officers firing back and killing him.
Newly released footage of the incident shows police confronting the suspect, Jacob String, who police said refused officers' orders before saying he needed to "make a call."
An officer can be seen deploying his Taser on String as he walks away, at which point String can be seen turning and pointing what appears to be a gun at police as he falls to the ground.
Officers responded by shooting at String; at least a dozen shots can be heard. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Police said all three investigations are ongoing and, per protocol, the incidents are being reviewed by the Bexar County district attorney's office.
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