The San Antonio police department is under investigation after an officer fatally shot an unarmed Black man last Thursday.
According to San Antonio police chief William McManus, undercover detectives were pursuing 36-year-old Antronie Scott, who was wanted on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. After officers pulled him over in an apartment complex, Officer John Lee approached him. Scott allegedly exited his vehicle, and Lee demanded that he show his hands.
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“As soon as that statement was made, you heard a gunshot and it hit the individual in the upper torso,” Chief McManus said at a news conference.
Scott died at the scene. Lee told police officials that he feared that Scott was holding a gun. However, the object in his hands turned out to be a cell phone. Though there is audio of the shooting, there is no dash cam video due to the angle in which the police cruiser was parked.
“There is some concern [Lee fired too quickly],” Chief McManus said, “but that will all come out in the investigation.”
Lee has been placed on administrative duty, and the department has opened an internal investigation.