Erik Cantu: Texas teen shot by rookie cop James Brennand in McDonald’s parking lot is released from hospital
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: A teenager has been released from the hospital nearly two months after he was shot by a cop at a McDonald's parking lot and had been severely injured. His family confirmed the update on Wednesday, November 23 with the victim returning home. Erik Cantu, 17, was reportedly placed on life support after the October 2 shooting.
During the horrifying event, he was shot multiple times by Officer James Brennand. His family's attorney Brian Powers previously said the teen was "fighting for his life" in the weeks that followed. However, Cantu's parents issued a statement on Wednesday confirming he was released from the hospital just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday.
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"Our family’s prayers have been answered, and we are incredibly grateful that our son Erik is home with us,” his family said in a statement posted on Twitter by their attorney Ben Crump. “Erik still has a long road to recovery ahead of him but we are overjoyed at his progress in the past two weeks. It means the world to us that we can spend Thanksgiving as a family outside of the hospital walls, where we have lived since Erik was horribly injured. We are thankful for many blessings this week – Erik’s strength, everyone who has supported us through Erik’s hospitalization, and the grace of God. Thank you," they added.
NEWS ALERT: The parents of 17-year-old Erik Cantu have announced that he is now out of the hospital and at home with their family. pic.twitter.com/zDBGUEkioF
— Ben Crump Law, PLLC (@BenCrumpLaw) November 23, 2022
Cantu's family said he was on life support at one point during his hospital stay, as reported by Fox News in October. Nonetheless, the family remained hopeful. Earlier this month, they said the teenager was awake and alert after being taken off a ventilator, according to a report by San Antonio Express-News.
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Brennand, meanwhile, is facing two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant following an investigation into the October 2 shooting. He was fired shortly after the incident. Authorities said the rookie cop violated procedure and training after he went up to the teen's car.
Our first look at arrested ex-SAPD officer James Brennand pic.twitter.com/MPqNsh7Cf7
— Dillon Collier (@dilloncollier) October 12, 2022
Cantu was reportedly eating a burger inside the vehicle when Brennand arrived at the fast food joint to respond to an unrelated disturbance. The officer spotted the teen's car, which he believed evaded him the previous day, and ordered him to get out of the vehicle and opened the driver's side door, as documented by police training commander Alyssa Campos in an October press conference. “With the vehicle door still open, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and attempted to leave. The officer was hit by the open door. The officer then stepped back and opened fire on the vehicle as the driver reversed away from him,” Campos said.
Brennand is said to have fired his weapon multiple times as the car reversed and continued shooting as it fled the scene. Cantu, who was with an unhurt 17-year-old female passenger at the time, was found by police shortly after. Investigators found that the car's registration plates did not match the vehicle, but concluded the car was not stolen. According to NBC News, Brennand had been on the force for just seven months at the time of the shooting and was still on probation, which is reportedly a standard practice for San Antonio officers who have graduated from the police academy less than a year ago.