Video: Fleeing Suspect Draws Gun on San Antonio Police Officer During Chase

By Brooke Park

Source San Antonio Express-News

The San Antonio Police Department has released video footage of a Nov. 7 officer-involved shooting that sent a man to the hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.

The officer, Oscar Espino, attempted to pull over a male driver after he committed a traffic violation around midnight on Nov. 7 at the intersection of South Presa Street and Southeast Military Drive on the South Side.

The man, Raul Ramirez, 42, drove a vehicle that the officer recognized as one that fled from police earlier in the day, San Antonio police said.

Espino "activated his emergency lights" to get Ramirez pull over. Instead, Ramirez led the officer on a car chase northbound on Padre Drive before "abruptly" stopping at the intersection at Napier Avenue, police said.

The narrated video, released Saturday, shows Ramirez pointing a handgun out the window of his truck before Espino "shot several rounds" at Ramirez, striking him once.

Espino, who has two years of service with SAPD, was not injured in the incident.

Police said they provided life-saving measures to Ramirez before emergency personnel arrived. Ramirez was taken to a local hospital with a non-life-threatening wound.

Ramirez faces one charge of aggravated assault against a public servant and one charge of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, according to jail records. He is currently booked at the Bexar County jail without bond, records show.

Ramirez has previously faced charges for three separate counts of arson, two separate charges of terroristic threat of family/household, two charges of assault with bodily injury in marriage, as well as charges of criminal mischief and family assault and a parole violation, according to jail records.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus has said Ramirez is a documented gang member.

SAPD continues to investigate the shooting, which could take a year to complete. As with all officer involved shootings, the Bexar County District Attorney's office is reviewing the incident.

___

Visit the San Antonio Express-News at www.mysanantonio.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.