San Antonio, Texas: An 18-year-old man was in critical condition Wednesday after a San Antonio police shooting that officers say began when a driver refused to stop and ended when a passenger reached for a firearm during a physical fight with an officer. Police said the shooting happened around 10:45 p.m. Tuesday near South San Gabriel Avenue and Buena Vista Street.
According to the San Antonio Police Department, two officers on patrol tried to stop a vehicle at Historic Old Highway 90 West and West Commerce Street. Police said the driver did not stop and that officers followed the vehicle until it came to a halt a short distance away.
The department said one officer approached and began speaking with the driver while a second officer moved to contact the passenger. Police said the passenger then ran toward the officers’ patrol vehicle, where a physical confrontation broke out. The officer reported that the man had a gun and was reaching for it during the struggle, according to the acting chief’s account provided to reporters. Police said the officer broke away and fired several shots.
Investigators said the wounded man ran roughly one block before officers located him in an abandoned lot. He was taken to a hospital in critical condition. Police said a firearm was recovered near where he was found. His name has not been released.
Police said the officer who fired is a seven-year department veteran and was not injured. Consistent with standard practice following an officer-involved shooting, the officer was placed on administrative duty while the investigation continues. The department has not released the officer’s name.
The driver of the vehicle walked away from the scene and had not been located as of early Wednesday, police said. Investigators did not say whether the driver faces charges or is being sought in connection with the confrontation.
Police said the shooting remains under investigation. Officers who fire their weapons in San Antonio are routinely reviewed by internal investigators, and the department has said it will examine the officer’s actions along with the physical evidence recovered at the scene, including the firearm found near the wounded man.
According to reporting on the case, this marked the tenth officer-involved shooting for the department in 2026. Police have not released body camera footage from the encounter, and it is unconfirmed whether such footage exists or when it might be made public. Authorities have not disclosed a possible motive for the driver’s decision to flee or for the passenger’s actions during the stop.
The department said it would release additional information as the investigation progresses.
Field Lessons are offered strictly as general, industry-standard reminders drawn from common safety practices and typical policy considerations. They are not based on any inside knowledge of this specific incident, do not presume what actions were taken, and should not be interpreted as commentary on the decisions made at the scene.
- Treat a failure to stop as a warning sign. A driver who refuses to pull over has already signaled noncompliance, and officers benefit from planning for elevated risk before the vehicle stops.
- Manage the danger of split contacts. When two occupants require attention, clear communication and deliberate positioning help each officer keep eyes on their subject and on one another.
- Watch the hands. Most deadly threats to officers begin with a movement toward the waistband or a concealed weapon, so hand awareness during any struggle is a survival fundamental.
- Create distance when a weapon is suspected. Breaking contact and opening space, when possible, can improve reaction time and open options that a close-quarters grapple takes away.
- Account for a fleeing subject. A suspect who runs after a struggle may still be armed, and coordinating containment while tracking that person protects both officers and bystanders.
Dr. Travis Yates has pioneered a behavioral risk framework to help officers and leaders identify, assess, and articulate risk in rapidly evolving, uncertain situations. Find out more about the FOCUS Behavioral Risk Framework.
