SAN ANTONIO — Longtime east-San Antonio resident Nena said she's used to hearing sirens from first responders. But Saturday was different.
There were so many sirens on that day, Nena says, that she hurried outside her house to see what was going on.
"There were very, very high-speed vehicles coming by, and I started counting. It's just something I do. I started counting and there were up to 15 SAPD vehicles," Nena said.
The woman, who calls herself a passionate advocate for fighting crime by keeping her neighbors informed, said she immediately made a social media post to try and learn what was going on.
When she learned a wanted felon ended up in what police characterize as a wrong-way chase resulting in a crash less than two miles from her home, she was shocked.
"Oh my gosh!" Nina exclaimed. That is crazy! That is crazy, and I am pro-SAPD and I back the blue in every sense. When people want to defund the police, this is what's at stake."
While reviewing online records detailing the suspect's criminal history, Nena said, "I think the common San Antonian would definitely be irate at the fact that repeat offenders keep getting released and put back into the public to continue this process."
An SAPD report notes the violent incident began shortly before 3 p.m., when officers received a credible tip that they could find 40-year-old Clinton Barnes Jr. at an east-side motel on Commerce Street.
Both SAPD and DPS troopers were involved in looking for Barnes in connection with a previous felony case in which he is accused of using a stolen vehicle to box in a detective who was watching him, and then displaying a weapon.
Watching from the ground and by air with a drone, investigators say they observed Barnes emerging from the motel with what turned out to be two pellet rifles, leaving the scene and then trying to evade officers when DPS attempted a traffic stop.
Detectives say when Barnes made it to I-10 and Martin Luther King Drive, he began driving on the wrong side of the road, maneuvered over the concrete median to make a U-turn and then again drove on the wrong side of the road.
The report alleges Barnes intentionally rammed two DPS patrol units trying to stop his escape. It reads Barnes was "uncooperative and gave blame to the troopers who gave pursuit for placing the public in danger."
Barnes told the officers he knew the vehicle was stolen, but that it had been given to him by a friend.
Officers said Barnes had a small amount of heroin in his pocket when they conducted a search. And, in his truck, they found a dealer quantity of methamphetamine and three stolen weapons.
The report states Barnes has several previous felony convictions which prohibit him from possessing firearms.
For the incident Saturday, Barnes ended up with eight separate charges. Online court records indicate he has three additional previous charges pending.
All told, his bonds total more than $500,000.
One of the previous incidents involves a different stolen vehicle from a case dating back to Sept.18. The arrest affidavit in that case states detectives found a stolen Ford F-250 at a southeast-side intersection and began to watch the vehicle.
The detective who was following the truck claims Barnes saw him, displayed a weapon and tried to block his exit using the stolen vehicle. The affidavit details how the police helicopter was used to track the vehicle throughout east San Antonio, but eventually Barnes managed to escape.
When he was arrested Saturday, the magistrate established some special provisions, in addition to setting bond. Namely, he was ordered to remain on full house arrest with a GPS monitor and not to possess any firearms.
Barnes has a court-appointed attorney. Online records indicate he is due in the 187th District Court on Nov. 7 to face the charges.
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