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Editor’s note: This story was updated on 8/2523 at 11:30 AM CDT
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said Thursday evening that a suspect who shot two officers and led dozens of police cars on a chase across the city was arrested.
McManus said the incident began at about 5 p.m. when officers located the suspect, 28-year-old Jesse Garcia, at the 100 block of Oriental on the near West Side.
“He was out on two bonds and currently is wanted on three warrants, which is why [we were] tracking him,” he said.
McManus said Garcia left the apartment and got into the passenger seat of a car driven by another individual Thursday evening. When officers followed his vehicle, Garcia began shooting at them with a long gun, wounding one officer.
Garcia then hijacked a different vehicle and wounded another officer before heading to an apartment complex of a known associate at Westward and Westrock near Highway 90 and 410, according to SAPD officials.
Garcia barricaded himself in the apartment complex for four hours before he was arrested without incident at 9 p.m., McManus said.
The two officers shot were hospitalized with serious injuries and are now in stable condition.
Another officer injured by debris caused by the gunfire has been released from the hospital.
SAPD said Garcia will be charged with five counts of Aggravated Assault on a Peace Officer, Aggravated Kidnapping, and Aggravated Robbery in addition to his outstanding warrants for Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Evading Arrest in a Vehicle, and Burglary of a Vehicle.
The driver of the first vehicle that was with Garcia has not been charged with any offenses but officials say they are still investigating.
On Friday, McManus took to the social media platform X to raise questions about why the suspect wan't in jail.
One of the concerning aspects surrounding the shooting of our ofcs last nite… the susp was out on 2 bonds for almost a yr despite committing more crimes & being re-arrested & wanted on 3 diff warrants. Why wasn’t he in jail? Why were’t his bonds increased? People want to know.
— Chief Bill McManus (@Chief_McManus) August 25, 2023
Christian Henricksen, Bexar County District Attorney’s Office First Assistant, blamed the bond system in a Friday press conference responding to McManus.
“Until we have a system that’s more based on risk, where judges can look at the defendant, they can look at the case, they can look at the criminal history and have more authority to remand people when they’re clearly dangerous, then this is going to continue to happen,” Henricksen said.
It has been 11 months since Garcia was arrested on the first of the three outstanding charges but the DA's office hasn't secured an indictment against him. When reporters asked why, he declined to comment.
