SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Three Texas police officers have been charged with murder for fatally shooting a woman who was experiencing a “mental health crisis” in the middle of the night. Melissa Perez, 46, was fatally shot by the cops on Friday, June 23, 2023, after they responded to a call about a woman allegedly destroying property.
The three police officers -- Sgt Alfred Flores, Officer Eleazar Alejandro, and Officer Nathaniel Villalobos – were suspended without pay and later arrested on murder warrants following a review of the shooting incident. San Antonio Police Chief William McManus stated in a press conference on Friday that the use of force "was not reasonable" and was against departmental policy. “They placed themselves in a situation where they used deadly force which was not reasonable given all the circumstances as we now understand them,” McManus said. The chief stated he would not answer any questions after the press conference because it is an "active investigation.”
'Ms Perez was having a mental health crisis'
The incident took place after 12:30 am on Friday when the three officers were dispatched to an apartment complex on the city's southwest side after a report of a woman cutting “wires to an alarm panel" for the apartment complex. Upon their arrival, the officers attempted to help Perez and lead her to a patrol vehicle but she ran back inside her apartment and locked the door. "It appeared that Ms Perez was having a mental health crisis," McManus said. The officers then tried to speak to Perez through an open window but she hurled a glass candle at one of the officers.
In a bodycam footage, two officers were seen leaping on top of the patio area, while Perez shouted “Stop it” and “You ain’t got no warrant.” An unidentified officer then shouted “You’re going to get shot,” to which Perez replied, “Shoot me — you ain’t got no warrant.” She then brought a hammer and started swinging it inside the home in the direction of where the officers were standing. The hammer ultimately struck and broke one of the windows, but it didn't appear to have hit any of the officers. One of the responding police officers then fired a volley of rounds, but Perez doesn't appear to have been hit. With hammer in hand, she then made an effort to return outside where the cops were waiting and at this point, the officers once more opened fire, striking her fatally, according to DailyMail.
'They used deadly force'
Before paramedics came, the cops provided Perez with first aid following the confrontation. However, she was pronounced dead shortly after medics arrived at the scene. Following the incident, the three cops were arrested and placed on unpaid leave while the inquiry was being conducted. Flores has been a member of the police force for 14 years. He is followed in service by Alejandro, who has been with the agency for 5 years, and Villalobos, who has been with it for 2 years. "The shooting officers' actions were not consistent with SAPD policy and training," the police chief said.
