By Nancy M. Preyor-Johnson and Raul Trey Lopez
Source San Antonio Express-News
Officials said the man who shot 7 San Antonio Police Department officers is Brandon Scott Poulos, 46.
Poulos is dead.
The shootings, which appear to be an ambush, happened at about 8:30 p.m. at the Sonterra Heights apartment complex, located in the 1800 block of Stone Oak Pkwy, police said. The complex is located near Cornerstone Church.
Just before 8:30 pm, SAPD officers were dispatched to an apartment in the 18700 block of Stone Oak Parkway for a suicide in progress call, according to San Antonio police. A second call came in for shots being fired and officers made that location.
"As police arrived, a female exited the apartment stating that the suspect was shooting inside, and he was coming out of the apartment," police said. "The suspect then exited the apartment and opened fire on the responding officers, striking one officer in the leg."
Officers then extracted the injured officer and rushed him to a local hospital.
Poulos kept shooting from inside his apartment.
Several teams of officers approached the apartment when the suspect began shooting at the officers. Multiple officers were struck, SAPD said in a preliminary report.
SWAT made the location and after several hours of negotiating, and other means to get the suspect to surrender peacefully, the suspect was found deceased, police said.
"At this time, it is uncertain if the suspect sustained a self-inflicted gunshot or if a SWAT officer shot the suspect," SAPD stated.
The injured officers were extracted and treated on the scene or transported to a local hospital in stable condition.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus first posted about the shooting on social media.
"Three ofcs shot responding to suicide in progress in Stone Oak. Just arriving on-scene. Scene still hot!!" McManus posted on X at 9:15 p.m.
"We can confirm multiple officers were injured, non-life-threatening injuries," SAPD public information officials said at 9:39 p.m.
"As far as I know right now, they are non-life-threatening injuries," McManus said from the scene.
For several hours, McManus described the scene as a "hot scene" as SWAT officers worked to apprehend the suspect.
While some apartment residents were evacuated, police asked other residents to remain in their apartments for their safety.
At about 1:30 a.m., Alana Ouazzani, a resident at the complex, made a post on social media about the shooting. She wondered when the shooter would run out of ammunition and how it could be happening in her neighborhood.
"I am in Sonterra Heights Apartments and we do in fact have an Active shooter situation this evening and I am not able to be evacuated, so fine, I stay put. I won't post pictures of the situation, which is insane," she wrote on Facebook. "The only thing I will say... It has been almost 5 hours. When is the dude going to run out of bullets? I am getting really sick and tired of hearing gun shots. I also do not want anymore injured officers. We're supposed to be classy, Stone Oak.
Some residents, including Joseph Isaiah Loredo, captured and shared chaotic video from the scene that clearly showed SWAT officers and gunshots.
At first, McManus said four officers had been shot. During his second briefing, he said seven officers had been shot.
The officers involved have between four and eight years of service. They will be placed on administrative duty until further notice.
Poulos had been released on bond just three days before the shooting, SAPD officials said.
He was arrested on Jan. 18 for a violation of a protection order, a violent offense, and other crimes, but he was released on bond on January 19.
The SAPD Shooting Team and the Internal Affairs Unit will conduct separate but concurrent inquiries. Their findings will be forwarded to the Bexar County District Attorney's office for an independent review.
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