Fatal San Antonio Shooting Death of Alex Saldana – Obituary
San Antonio law enforcement authorities have unveiled the identity of the teenager who was struck down by a police officer on Friday morning. Additionally, they have disclosed the names of the officers involved in recent incidents, one of which resulted in a fatality.
Nineteen-year-old Alex Saldana met his tragic end early Friday morning in the 3100 block of Culebra Road, following a police response to a distressing domestic situation reported at approximately 2 a.m. The distress call indicated an alarming case where a man had reportedly assaulted his girlfriend with a firearm.
Upon arriving at the scene, the officers discovered the apartment’s front door ajar, and inside, Alex Saldana was found holding a handgun, according to Police Chief William McManus.
He further explained that Saldana pointed the firearm at the approaching officers, prompting one of them, identified as Christopher Cummings, a veteran of six years within the department, to discharge their weapon, striking Saldana once or possibly twice in the torso.
Saldana was subsequently rushed to University Hospital for immediate surgery, while no officers sustained any injuries during the incident.
Tragically, another officer was involved in a separate incident on Saturday around 9:30 p.m., which resulted in the death of a 46-year-old man. Although the deceased’s identity remains undisclosed, the officer responsible was identified as Joshua Bagley, who has served in the department for three years.
The incident unfolded when officers responded to a reported robbery in progress at Nicha’s Comida Mexican Restaurant, located in the 3100 block of Roosevelt.
Witnesses observed a man fleeing from the scene, pursued by the restaurant’s employees, according to Chief McManus. An officer confronted the suspect, who was armed with a substantial knife, at a nearby apartment. McManus reported that a confrontation occurred, leading the officer to employ lethal force.
The incident marks the tenth fatality arising from confrontations with San Antonio police officers this year, a stark contrast to the previous year’s total. The surge in such incidents commenced late the previous month, resulting in the demise of three other suspects and injuries to six officers.
A preliminary report released on Sunday indicates that the officer involved in this incident instructed the suspect to drop the knife, but the suspect defiantly refused. Consequently, he was shot once or possibly twice in the upper body and was pronounced deceased at the scene. Despite officers’ attempts to resuscitate him, their efforts proved futile.