A grand jury has indicted James Brennand, a former Texas cop, on multiple charges in connection with the shooting of an unarmed teenager in a McDonald’s parking lot.
As previously reported, Brennand—then a San Antonio police officer—is charged in connection with the shooting 17-year-old Erik Cantu in October. At the time, Cantu was inside a car eating a burger. The shooting, per previous reports, was captured in subsequently released body camera footage.
As announced by Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales on Thursday, an indictment has been returned by a Bexar County grand jury against Brennand for one count of attempted murder and two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant. The former, Gonzales noted, is a second-degree felony with a potential 20-year prison sentence, while the aggravated assault by a public servant charges are a first-degree felony carrying the potential for a life sentence.
“No one should have to sit by their child in a hospital and worry about whether they will make it through the night, or the next day, or the week,” Gonzales said in a statement. “My heart breaks knowing that the Cantu family went through that.”
In November, Cantu’s parents announced that their son had been released from the hospital, saying in a statement at the time that their “prayers have been answered.” In a statement shared Thursday, attorney Ben Crump—who was retained by the family in October—called the newly announced indictment against Brennand “a relief” for the family.
“The grand jury’s decision to indict on an attempted murder charge and two counts of aggravated assault is a significant step toward justice––but there is still a long road ahead,” Crump said, adding that his team will “continue to fight for accountability” in the case.
News of the indictment follows previous word of aggravated assault charges following a criminal investigation helmed by the San Antonio Police Department’s homicide unit, as well as reports of Cantu’s family calling for stronger charges in the shooting.
