The trial of three former San Antonio Police Department officers charged in the shooting death of Melissa Perez, a mother of four, resumed today with dramatic body camera footage presented in court.<\/p>\n
Officers Eleazar Alejandro, Alfred Flores, and Nathaniel Villalobos face charges related to the 2023 incident.<\/p>\n
Officer Andrew Chernak, a key witness, testified about the events leading up to the shooting. He responded to the scene after Perez allegedly struck an officer with a hammer. During cross-examination, the defense questioned Chernak about his adherence to department policy requiring documentation of officer misconduct, which was absent from his report. Chernak stated to the jury about their plan, “I didn’t see, and I don’t have firsthand knowledge of it. I did not believe there was anything illegal about it.”<\/p>\n
The court viewed body cam footage where officers expressed fear for their safety as Perez approached with a hammer. Despite officers’ requests for Perez to speak peacefully, she refused, prompting one officer to say, “So you’re going to make us go in.”<\/p>\n
RELATED | Trial reveals tense moments in Melissa Perez shooting case <\/a><\/p>\n Chernak said”I’ve worked three different departments. I don’t know anybody who says, you know, I’m going to go out and kill someone today. We don’t do that.”<\/p>\n RELATED | Trial of former 3 San Antonio officers in Melissa Perez shooting continues<\/a><\/p>\n When asked if he would have used lethal force, Chernak replied, “That’s kind of hard to answer because there’s so many different variables that could be involved in that.”<\/p>\n