Almost eight years after Charles “Chop Chop” Roundtree was shot and killed by a San Antonio police officer, a jury is hearing testimony in his family’s lawsuit this week.
Roundtree, 18, was unarmed and sitting on a couch with friends when he was shot in 2018. His family and two others involved in the incident are suing Officer Steve Casanova and the city of San Antonio, accusing Casanova of using excessive force.
They also allege that the police department to failed to train, supervise and discipline him. The suit is seeking financial damages, including funeral and burial costs and attorney’s fees.
The trial started Wednesday after a brief delay: After a jury was selected Monday, parties entered mediation for a potential settlement. When an agreement was not reached, the jury panel was seated and testimony began Wednesday.
On Oct. 17, 2018, Casanova responded to a call that someone had been punched in the face in the 200 block of Roberts Street on the West Side, police said at the time.
The gunshots grazed Snowden, nearly hit another friend, Taylor Singleton, and hit Roundtree in the chest.
Conflicting narratives followed in the days after the shooting.
Police initially said Snowden aggressively approached the officer and tried to grab a gun from his waist. Police also said a gun was found outside the home.
The body camera video showed that Casanova did not identify himself. People inside the house told authorities that when the officer shined his flashlight at them, they were blinded and could not tell that police were at the door.
A Bexar County grand jury declined to indict Casanova on criminal charges in 2019.
Snowden was arrested on a charge of felon in possession of a firearm in connection with the gun found outside the home, but a jury acquitted him after investigators said they could not find his DNA on the weapon.
The city has denied the allegations and defended Casanova’s actions, saying in 2022 that it was “a justified shooting based on the facts and applicable law.”
Casanova and the city attempted to stop the civil lawsuit, asking the federal court to dismiss the case. But U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam denied a motion for summary judgment in 2022, stating that evidence contradicted the city’s and SAPD’s version of events, so the case could go before a jury.
The trial is expected to last a week.