SAN ANTONIO — In a span of 48 hours last month, San Antonio Police authorities responding to a pair of reported shootings on the south and southeast sides ended up opening fire and injuring the respective suspects in those incidents.
Neither suspect was killed. But San Antonio Police have now released body camera footage of law enforcement's response to both incidents, per department policy. That footage is now on its way to District Attorney Joe Gonzalez to be reviewed by the county.
May 27, along Topsey Street
According to authorities, officers responded to the 8800 block of Topsey in response to apparent gunfire at about 4:30 a.m. Police at the time said homeowners reported a 43-year-old man who lived in a nearby shed, Japheth Perea, had broken into their home and started shooting.
In the video released Wednesday, the three homeowners who reported the gunfire can be seen talking to police before the sound of an apparent gunshot is heard.
Multiple officers are then seen approaching the house, and the footage is blurred once they enter, with SAPD citing privacy laws. Eventually, a barrage of gunfire is heard behind the blurred footage; police say Perea "opened fire" on them and was hit when an officer returned fire, injuring him.
Police at the time said they then retreated and waited for a SWAT team to arrive. In the video, an audible Perea can be heard crying out: "I'm hit, I'm hit, I don't have a gun no more. I'm hit, please hurry!"
Perea remains in custody as of this week on charges of aggravated assault of a public servant.
May 29, along Ada Street
In the late hours of May 28, an hours-long standoff ensued when police say they responded to the 1200 block of Ada Street "to a report of an intoxicated male shooting a gun."
The video released by SAPD begins with audio of a 911 call from that morning. A woman can be heard saying her 29-year-old son, Roger Flores, "is severely drunk" and "trying to leave in my vehicle."
"He has a gun, and he is shooting it in the air," the woman goes on to say.
About 40 minutes later, another 911 call was made, this one by Flores, who can be heard telling dispatchers, "I'm getting drunk at the corner of the street. I got a f*cking gun on me. I'm ready to f*cking do this sh*t."
SAPD says officers who eventually arrived at the area worked unsuccessfully to get Flores to drop the gun, but that he "continued drinking alcoholic beverages from a cooler" as midnight came and went.
A perimeter was established at the same time to protect residents in the area. Thermal imagery included in the video appears to show Flores raising a weapon toward offices before slowly crumpling to the ground; SAPD says a SWAT officer shot at Flores to incapacitate him. A gun was found on the ground near him when approached by officers, SAPD says.
Flores remains in custody and charged with aggravated assault of a public servant.
Unreleased footage in other incidents
Meanwhile, SAPD says it would not be releasing footage in the May 21 killing of a woman who authorities said wouldn't put down a knife when confronted by police. The department cited the fact that it was a domestic violence incident.
The department is also not releasing footage of the June 3 killing of 13-year-old AJ Hernandez, who died after he allegedly rammed into an SAPD cruised in a stolen car, prompting officers to shoot him. The department claims that because of AJ's age, they are prohibited by law to release any video or reports associated with the incident.
AJ's death has sparked community rallies, and calls from at least one San Antonio activist group for SAPD to release body camera footage of the incident "so we can get the full narrative." The boy's mother, meanwhile, told KENS 5 that accounts neighbors are inconsistent with officers' initial report.