SAN ANTONIO — SAN ANTONIO – The third day of the trial concerning the death of Melissa Perez presented raw and emotional moments as jurors viewed body camera footage from Officer Robert Ramos, the second officer on the scene following Officer Jesus Rojas.
The footage depicted the officers’ initial encounter with Perez, who retreated into her apartment as they attempted to make contact by knocking on her door and even pretending to be housekeeping.
In the video, Perez can be heard shouting, “You don’t have a warrant,” and “Everybody’s watching you,” as she refused to come out, speaking to the officers through a side window. The officers urged her to come outside, to which she accused them of harassment, saying, “You see this America.”
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The situation escalated when an officer reached through a window in an attempt to unlock a patio door, Perez then approached with a hammer.
The courtroom fell silent as the video showed the officers firing their weapons.
During cross-examination, Officer Rojas faced scrutiny from the defense, which highlighted the moments leading up to the fatal shooting.
The defense demonstrated with a hammer how the officers’ lives could have been at risk and argued that officers must protect themselves by any means necessary.
The defense also criticized Rojas for failing to report a mental health issue before the officers arrived and for not reporting Officer Ramos when he sparked a Taser at what appeared to be Perez’s dog.