No officers were hurt in the Tuesday afternoon incident, which happened in east San Antonio.
SAN ANTONIO — A 52-year-old man who police say was wanted on multiple felony warrants was shot dead by San Antonio SWAT officers who were trying to apprehend him when they were fired upon, authorities say.
No officers were hurt in the incident, which unfolded around 5:45 p.m. in the area of Morningview and Pecan Valley on the east side. According to San Antonio Police Chief William McManus, a tipster called police to report the location of the man before officers responded.
“SWAT went down, understanding that this individual was probably dangerous based on some statements he made,” McManus said. “They called him out to surrender. Instead of doing that, he came out shooting.”
Officials say the man, later identified as Juan Antonio Hernandez, used a handgun to fire “somewhere around four to five rounds,” hitting multiple SWAT vehicles. At some point, two SWAT officers returned fire.
Hernandez was pronounced dead at the hospital shortly after, McManus said, adding the information he provided at the scene was preliminary and could change.
>WATCH the full update from Chief McManus below
The police chief initially said it was believed Hernandez was also wanted on parole violation, but SAPD clarified Wednesday that he was “discharged from parole in 2019 from another state.”
The SWAT officers who fired have 14 and five years of service with SAPD, respectively.
SAPD will embark on separate internal investigations in the aftermath of the incident, per department protocol, before findings are sent to the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.
This marks the 13th shooting involving San Antonio police so far in 2024.
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