A man pretending to be related to a teen shot by police last week gave false statements about his condition.
In a since-retracted story by local news station KENS5, a man by the name of Jesus Salazar said that he was the cousin of Erik Cantu, a 17-year-old shot by San Antonio Police while he was inside his car in a McDonald’s parking lot on 2 October.
“Erik’s mother and father do not know who this person is,” Brian Powers, an attorney for the family, said in a statement to the San Antonio Current. “We don’t know this person’s motives in passing himself off as a family member, but it has caused added stress to this family’s life right now.”
The imposter gave several misleading statements in the KENS5 interview. He stated that Erik had brain damage and demanded an apology from former SAPD officer James Brennand, 27, who has been fired and charged with aggravated assault by a public servant after the shooting.
KENS5 offered an apology to Erik’s family, saying the story did not meet its editorial standards. The teen’s family declined to speak to the media, instead asking for prayers as he continues to fight for his life.
Through Mr Powers, relatives of the teen have provided updates on his health, most recently telling NBC that although Erik remains on life support, his oxygen levels seem to be improving. The family has also created a GoFundMe page to raise funds for Erik’s mounting medical bills.
“We’d like to correct any misrepresentations that Erik is in ‘stable condition’ or he is ‘going to be fine,” the family attorney, Brian Powers, told The Associated Press. “That is not true. Every breath is a struggle for Erik. We ask for everyone’s continued prayers for our son.”
Mr Brennard’s bodycam footage of the incident shows the teenager eating a burger and a 17-year-old girl sitting in the passenger seat as Mr Brennand instructed the pair to get out of the car. Erik was then ordered to exit his vehicle in the McDonald’s parking lot.
He began to back up with the car door still open, which San Antonio Police Captain Alyssa Campos said hit the officer, who fired several times, striking the teenager. The teen was taken to a hospital after he was stopped by officers at a separate location.
Erik initially faced charges for evading detention in a vehicle and for assaulting a police officer, but the Bexar County criminal district attorney, Joe Gonzales, later announced they had been dropped.
According to police, Mr Brennand was a newly trained officer still on probation when he shot Erik after attempting to gather information from witnesses in a parking lot about an unrelated disturbance. He was arrested on Tuesday and was later released after posting a $200,000 bond, court records show.
