Three police officers in San Antonio, Texas, are facing murder charges after fatally shooting a woman in her apartment during a confrontation early Friday.
The woman, 46-year-old Melissa Perez, was having what appeared to be a “mental health crisis” when officers encountered her and shot her dead, San Antonio police department (SAPD) chief William McManus said on Friday at a news conference.
Police had been called to her apartment complex about 2am after reports that she was cutting wires connected to the building’s fire alarm system, according to local TV news state KSAT.
Local firefighters initially responded, but officers later approached Perez, who was walking her dog outside, and she ran to her apartment and locked herself inside. As the officers tried to enter her apartment, she threw a glass candle at them, hitting an officer in the arm, and wielded a hammer, the department said.
An officer fired multiple rounds that did not strike Perez. After she moved closer to the officers again with the hammer, the three officers fired at Perez and this time struck her.
Emergency medical services pronounced her dead at the scene. The department reported no other injuries from the gunfire.
The SAPD released body camera footage from the incident late on Friday afternoon that showed the officers trying to enter her apartment as Perez told them “you ain’t got no warrant”.
At Friday’s news conference, McManus said that the officers’ behavior was “not consistent with … policy and training” at the department.
“They placed themselves in a situation where they used deadly force, which was not reasonable given all the circumstances as we now understand them,” he said.
“This event does not accurately reflect the high level of dedication and commitment demonstrated by our over 2,500 officers nor should it undermine the extensive and advanced training we provide to ensure the health and the safety of both our officers and the community they serve.”
The three officers – identified as Sgt Alfred Flores, Eleazar Alejandro and Nathaniel Villalobos – had 14, five and two years of service with the police, respectively. The officers were arrested and suspended from their posts Friday, and they were eventually released on $100,000 bail.
The police chief said the officers are being investigated individually, and the local district attorney’s civil right division is reviewing the case.
Murder charges against police officers for on-duty shootings are rare, but there has been an uptick after police departments came under global scrutiny in 2020. That year, a police officer in Minneapolis murdered George Floyd.
Earlier this year, five police officers in Memphis were charged with the murder of Tyre Nichols, who was recorded being beaten by officers after he was pulled over for allegedly driving recklessly.
