A Texas police officer shot and killed a 13-year-old boy after he allegedly tried to ram a patrol car while attempting to escape in a stolen vehicle, US authorities said.
The incident occurred shortly after 1.30am on Friday in the city of San Antonio amid reports of multiple gunshots.
According to police, a red car at the scene matched the description of a reported stolen vehicle. Authorities said that when officers attempted to stop the car, the driver accelerated in the direction of the officer’s patrol vehicle.
San Antonio police chief William McManus told reporters that the driver, a 13-year-old boy, saw the officers and tried to flee from the area.
He said the teenager hit the patrol car on the driver’s side. A second officer at the scene responded by firing a single shot at the boy behind the wheel.
The boy was taken to University Hospital with a gunshot wound to the abdomen and underwent surgery but later died from his injuries, police said.
The Independent has contacted the San Antonio Police Department for comment.
Chief McManus told KSAT 12 that the officer who shot the teen has been placed on administrative leave while an investigation is carried out. The officer has not been publicly named.
No officers were injured in the incident. Two other juvenile boys who were in the car with the 13-year-old were taken into custody, according to NBC News.
San Antonio police captain Jesse Salame told NBC News that while it was later determined that the boy did not have a firearm, the officer who shot him feared that he would strike the patrol car again.
The boy was identified by his family as AJ Hernandez. According to KSAT 12, they are now seeking answers from the police department.
Chief McManus told MySA that no more details would be released at this time while the force reviews the body camera footage from the officers who responded to the incident.
