SAN ANTONIO — The trial concerning the shooting death of Melissa Perez in June 2023 experienced a sudden pause as dramatic testimony unfolded in court.
San Antonio Fire Department Capt. Christopher Hudson took the stand to answer questions about the night Perez was shot and killed. However, proceedings were interrupted when the defense attempted to question Hudson while playing body camera footage. The state objected, arguing that the jury needed a physical copy of the video for deliberations, prompting the court to pause to copy the files to a hard drive.
Once resumed, the defense questioned Hudson about the dispatch process, asking if a call could be upgraded to a higher urgency if it involved mental health. Hudson responded, “To be honest, I don’t know how things work on SAPD’s dispatch side.”
The defense also introduced a hammer in court, asking Hudson if such an object could cause injury, drawing a comparison to the moment Perez allegedly swung a similar object at officers. The prosecutor, stating, “At a minimum, do extraordinary serious bodily injury.”
Officer Jesus Rojas of the San Antonio Police Department was called to the stand just after 2 p.m. He testified about his interaction with Perez, who had cut alarm wires at her apartment. Rojas said, “I was trying to talk to her, I asked her questions about her mental illnesses and she took off running.” He noted that Perez was likely experiencing a mental episode and mentioned that no mental health units were present at the scene. Rojas added, “She said that she was diagnosed with schizophrenia, but she wasn’t taking any medication.”
The trial adjourned for the day and is expected to resume tomorrow at 12:30 p.m., with further cross-examination of Officer Rojas.