In Texas, Bexar County sheriff’s deputies shot and killed a 6-year-old boy when opening fire on a wanted woman who was trying to escape through a San Antonio suburb.
The woman, 30-year-old Amanda Jones, was also fatally shot. She was wanted for car theft and was reportedly trying to break into the boy’s family’s mobile home, but had no connection with the family. Authorities had been pursuing her for two hours before opening fire on the porch of the trailer.
Kameron Prescott, the 6-year-old little boy, was inside the trailer when the shooting started and was shot in the torso. Two of his family members were also in the trailer but were not injured.
It is unknown why authorities opened fire on the woman. According to one report, Jones had pointed a firearm at a deputy that had found her hiding in a closet in a home earlier in the day. However, Jones did not have a firearm on her at the scene where she and Prescott were shot, and a firearm has yet to be uncovered.
The chase for Jones began at 10:48 that morning when a man reported that a woman had stolen his car. He named Jones as the thief and told authorities where to find her. A two hour manhunt followed, including Jones swimming across Cibolo Creek, where one officer followed.
Deputies found her later on, hiding in a closet at a home in the 112000 block of FM1518. It was at this point that deputies say she had a firearm. However, Jones escaped and authorities lost her for over an hour.
Jones eventually ran into the mobile home park, where two residents reported her for threatening them. She attempted to break into several mobile homes, before ending up at the Prescott home where authorities caught up with her.
Several residents in the mobile home park witnessed Jones, but none of them report seeing or being threatened with a weapon. Jones did break into at least one mobile home prior to trying to break into Prescott’s, where she demanded the keys to a vehicle before being chased away by several of the residents.
Four deputies fired their handguns, and at least one fired a rifle in the shootout. They have been placed on administration leave for five days.
“In my opinion it’s a tragic accident that led to the death of this young man,” said Sheriff Javier Salazar at a news conference. “We are looking into all of it. Internal Affairs is still investigating it. But again preliminarily it appears that policies and procedures [on use of force] were complied with.”
If policies and procedures were indeed “complied with,” then there is something rotten in Texas, and perhaps police departments nationwide.
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