Gunfight lands officer and suspect in hospital

A police officer was shot in the shoulder and returned fire while pursuing a suspect early Tuesday at an apartment complex on the Northwest Side.

Jonathan Cruz Garcia, 17, is charged with attempted capital murder of a police officer, evading arrest with a vehicle and theft from $2,500 to less than $30,000. His bail totals $275,000.

Officer Drew Matthewson, who has been with the department for a year, came across a vehicle with stolen tags about 1:30 a.m. and began following the driver, police said.

The driver sped away and crashed the vehicle into the gate of an apartment complex in the 5000 block of Hamilton Wolfe, then fled on foot inside the complex, officers said.

Police Chief William McManus said Matthewson followed the driver into a corridor between two apartment buildings.

“He hid behind a wall, and when the officer hit the end of the corridor, he shot the officer in the upper chest, the shoulder,” McManus said.

Matthewson, who had been wearing body armor, returned fire, striking the gunman twice. He then detained Garcia until backup officers arrived.

Paramedics took both men to a hospital. Matthewson was treated and released. Garcia was in critical condition at University Hospital, police reported. He was booked by proxy.

Matthewson is being placed on administrative duty, per protocol.

McManus commended the officer on his actions in the pursuit, saying he did a “fantastic job” but is “very fortunate.”

“This morning’s shooting demonstrated once again the courage of San Antonio police officers who put their lives on the line every day to protect our city,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement.

The tags on the vehicle the officer chased belong to a vehicle that was stolen Saturday by a person who shot at the car’s owner during the robbery, police said.