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Former SAPD officer who shot Erik Cantu Jr. receives criminal trial start date in June

Victoria Casarez speaks to the press about her son, Erik Cantu Jr., in front of the Bexar County Courthouse. On her left are members of her family and legal team. On her right is Erik Cantu Sr., Cantu Jr.'s father, and Ben Crump, the high-profile civil rights attorney who is now representing the family. Supporters and more family stand behind them with signs and a picture of Cantu Jr.
Josh Peck
/
TPR
Victoria Casarez (center) speaks about her son, Erik Cantu Jr., standing alongside his father Erik Cantu Sr. (center left) and their attorney Ben Crump (left).

The start of the criminal trial for James Brennand, the former SAPD officer who shot 17-year-old Erik Cantu Jr. in October, has been set for June 6, according to Bexar County court records.

In December, District Attorney Joe Gonzales announced that a grand jury indicted Brennand.

Brennand faces one count of attempted murder, a second-degree felony, and two counts of first-degree felony aggravated assault by a public servant. He faces between 4 to 20 years for attempted murder and 5 to 99 years for each of the aggravated assault charges.

The October shooting left Cantu in the hospital for six weeks, at times on life support, and garnered national attention.

Following the shooting, Brennand, who was a probational officer at the time, was fired and then charged and arrested with aggravated assault.

Activists and Cantu's mother called for attempted murder charges to be brought against Brennand despite the initial resistance of Police Chief William McManus, who said his detectives hadn’t come to that conclusion.

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