by | Published
Three San Antonio police officers have been charged with murder following the fatal shooting of a woman inside her apartment on Friday morning. Chief William McManus announced the charges and provided details of the incident, which led to the termination of the officers' employment.
The officers involved in the shooting were identified as Sergeant Alfred Flores, who had 14 years of service, Officer Eleazar Alejandro with 5 years of service, and Officer Nathaniel Villalobos with 2 years of service. All three officers were taken into custody after the incident.
The shooting occurred in the early hours of Friday in the 6200 block of Old Pearsall Road on the Southwest Side of San Antonio. Police were initially called to the scene for a disturbance report, as a woman was reportedly destroying property. Chief McManus stated that the woman, later identified as 46-year-old Melissa Perez, was cutting wires of a fire alarm system in the apartment complex, an act that constituted the felony offense of criminal mischief.
When police arrived, Perez was speaking with the San Antonio Fire Department in the parking lot and provided her identification details. Chief McManus revealed that Perez was experiencing a mental health crisis, and officers attempted to persuade her to go towards their patrol car. However, she ran back to her apartment and locked the door.
Officers then attempted to communicate with Perez through an open window. According to Chief McManus, one of the officers removed the screen door from the window. Perez allegedly reacted by grabbing a glass candle and throwing it at the officer. The police officers backed away and waited for additional backup and a supervisor to arrive at the scene.
One group of officers positioned themselves at the front of the apartment, while the other three officers, including Flores, Alejandro, and Villalobos, were stationed at the back patio. The officers tried to convince Perez to exit the apartment, but she refused.
According to Chief McManus, two of the officers eventually jumped the patio railing and entered the patio area. One officer reported that Perez picked up a hammer and started approaching them from inside the apartment. McManus stated that Perez swung the hammer towards the officers and struck the window, breaking it.
In response, one officer discharged his weapon, but it appeared that Perez was not hit. Perez then allegedly moved towards the window again, still armed with the hammer, and all three officers opened fire. Perez was struck by gunfire at least two times and succumbed to her injuries at the scene.
Following a thorough review by the San Antonio Police Department and the Bexar County District Attorney's Civil Rights Division, warrants were issued for the arrest of the three officers. The officers were charged with murder and were taken into custody on Friday night. Their bond was set at $100,000.
Chief McManus emphasized that the officers' actions were inconsistent with the department's policies and training. He stated, "They placed themselves in a situation where they used deadly force, which was not reasonable given all the circumstances as we now understand them."
The incident will be subject to three separate investigations: two by the San Antonio Police Department's Internal Affairs and Homicide Unit and one by the District Attorney's Civil Rights Division. The thorough investigations aim to shed light on the events leading to the tragic shooting and ensure transparency in determining the appropriate legal actions.
