SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department is investigating an in-custody death after a suspect fatally shot himself while handcuffed in the back of a patrol vehicle, Chief William McManus said.
According to McManus, officers began pursuing a driver on March 19 after identifying a vehicle with stolen license plates on the city’s South Side. The pursuit continued to the North Side, with SAPD’s EAGLE helicopter helping track the suspect.
McManus said the suspect eventually pulled into a parking lot and ran from the vehicle. Officers caught him, placed him in handcuffs and secured him in the back of a patrol car.
While officers were speaking nearby, the cuffed suspect was able to access his own firearm and shoot himself in the head, McManus said. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
When asked whether officers had conducted a pat-down before placing the suspect in the patrol vehicle, McManus said that question would be part of the investigation.
“That will all be looked at in the investigation, so I don’t know at this point,” McManus said.
Police have not released the suspect’s identity.
McManus said the two officers involved have four and five years of service with the department. Their names have not been released.
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