Last month, a San Antonio, Texas, police officer stopped a man for jaywalking before pursuing him on foot after he fled, shooting at him 15 times.
However, police say Jeffrey Schopp died from a self-inflicted gunshot to the head.
On December 3, San Antonio police officer James Lopez was driving his patrol car when he noticed a man with a backpack crossing the street without using a crosswalk, which is a Class C misdemeanor in Texas punishable by up to a $200 fine.
Lopez stopped his car and stepped out, instructing the 33-year-old man to approach him and stand in front of his patrol car.
“I’m not doing all that, man,” Schopp said as he sat on the railing. “Am I under arrest?”
“You are currently detained. “Walk over there,” Lopez instructed.
“For what?” Schopp asked.
“For crossing the street without a crosswalk, go over there,” the cop said.
“I apologize, sir,” Schopp replied.
But Lopez began raising his voice, expressing his annoyance with the man.
“I ain’t looking for an apology,” the cop responded. “Come over here right now before I put you in handcuffs.”
Schopp continued to apologize, telling the cop that “I had to get to the hospital,” but the cop insisted that he approach him.
“I ain’t listening to sh-t,” Lopez replied. “Come here. “Come over here now.”
Schopp dropped his backpack and dashed across the street into a parking garage, with Lopez following him. He was joined by other officers who were also pursuing Schopp.
During the chase, Schopp ended up in a drainage ditch with cops following closely behind.
“Get the f-ck on the ground,” Lopez yelled at Schopp. “I am going to f-ck you up.
“You’re going to be tased, brother. I’m going to fucking tase you.”
But Schopp attempted to flee under a bridge over the ditch, apparently pulling out a gun, at which point Lopez fired 12 shots.
“He has an f-cking gun!” Lopez yelled as he loaded a new magazine into his gun, and Schopp appeared on the other side of the bridge, in the drainage ditch.
The other cops can be heard yelling, “Drop the gun,” but it doesn’t appear that they fired their weapons.
However, Lopez fired three more times after replacing the gun’s magazine, causing Schopp to fall to the ground.
According to KENS 5, San Antonio police initially stated that Schopp fired at the officer and was killed after being struck in the chest by a bullet, but they have since stated that Schopp died from a self-inflicted gun wound.
Lopez, who has worked for the San Antonio Police Department for four years, has been placed on paid administrative leave while the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office investigates the shooting.
According to KENS 5, the deadly encounter was the 20th shooting of a San Antonio Police Department officer in 2024.
“Investigations into officer-involved shootings are comprehensive and can take over a year,” San Antonio Police Lieutenant David Bacarreza stated in a critical incident video detailing the shooting.
