This article was updated to adhere with AtNight Media’s Code of Ethics
SAN ANTONIO, TX—The family of 17-year-old Erik Cantu, who was shot multiple times by San Antonio police officer James Brennand in a McDonald’s parking lot, is facing a harrowing ordeal as their son remains heavily sedated in the hospital, suffering from pneumonia and disturbing hallucinations. The incident, which occurred while Cantu was sitting in his car eating a cheeseburger, has sparked outrage and calls for justice from the community and Cantu’s family, Your Content has learned.
Erik Cantu’s condition has been complicated by pneumonia, a result of prolonged intubation, according to his family. The teenager also experiences frequent hallucinations, during which he appears to put his hands in the air and mimic hitting a car’s gas pedal, a heartbreaking sight for his loved ones.
The shooting unfolded when Officer Brennand, 25, who was still in his rookie year with the San Antonio Police Department, approached Cantu’s car. Brennand fired at Cantu’s vehicle 10 times, believing it had been stolen—a claim that has yet to be confirmed. Following the shooting, Brennand handcuffed Cantu as he lay on the pavement struggling for breath.
The severity of Cantu’s injuries and the circumstances of the shooting have led his family to seek murder charges against Brennand. The incident has raised serious questions about the use of force and the quick escalation to violence in encounters between police and civilians,‘according to DailyMail.
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