Police: Officer shoots, kills man stalking ex
A man who police said was stalking a woman — to the point of putting a tracking device on her car — is dead in the wake of a domestic violence incident that occurred Thursday afternoon in the North Castle Hills subdivision.
The deceased man, 33, had been in an estranged relationship with the woman, who is reported to be in her mid-20s and lives at a home in the 11900 block of Bammel, where the incident took place, San Antonio Police Chief William Mcmanus said.
The woman hadn’t seen the man for about one year until recently, when she learned that he’d started tracking her, discovering where she lived, which gym she went to and where she worked, Mcmanus said.
“This has been escalating for the last week or so,” the chief said, adding that the man had gone to different places the woman frequented. “This was a tragedy waiting to happen.”
On Thursday, the man showed up at the woman’s house for the first time since he began stalking her, the chief said. The woman texted a San Antonio Police Department detective, with whom she had been in contact, that her estranged partner was at her residence.
Multiple SAPD officers responded, Mcmanus said, with a couple of them going to the front of the home.
The man was reportedly in the back of the house, and about four or five officers went in that direction.
Subsequently, the man came out with a gun and pointed it at his head, Mcmanus said. The man then walked toward the woman; it’s unclear whether she was inside or outside the property.
In response, an officer shot the man to prevent him from harming the woman, Mcmanus said. Multiple shots were fired, and the man died from his injuries. The woman was unharmed.
The officer, who hasn’t been identified, has been on the force for 28 years, the chief said.
There had been a protective order against the man in Hidalgo County, and he had several felony warrants active against him, the chief said.
The couple had previously dated for about five years.
It’s unknown whether anyone else was inside the home at the time. The shooting is under investigation.
“It’s ironic that this is Domestic Violence Awareness Month,” Mcmanus said during a news conference near the property.
Speaking to city residents, he said, “If you’re having difficulties in an abusive relationship, then you should call us and let us know.”