My San Antonio – by Chris Quinn, Emilie Eaton, and Silvia Foster-Frau
A veteran San Antonio police was shot and killed before noon Sunday while performing a routine traffic stop near police headquarters downtown, officials said, prompting a citywide search for the gunman.
SAPD Chief William McManus said the shooting occurred on the south side of SAPD headquarters, at 11:45 a.m. where the officer, identified as Detective Benjamin Marconi, was issuing a traffic citation. As he did so, a black vehicle pulled up behind the officer’s unit.
The suspect got out of the car, walked up to the passenger window and fired one round into the patrol car, hitting Marconi in the head, McManus said. He said the suspect reached in and fired again, hitting Marconi a second time.
The suspect then drove off, McManus said.
Marconi was transported to San Antonio Military Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The 50-year-old officer was a 20-year veteran of the force.
The suspect is described as a dark-skinned male, 5-feet, 7 inches to 6-feet tall, wearing a gray shirt and black pants. According to police, the suspect was driving a black mid-size sedan with chrome wheels.
A photograph of a person of interest was leaked on social media Sunday afternoon, police said.
According to chatter on police scanners after the shooting, police were searching the area near headquarters and the surrounding buildings for the gunman, while homicide detectives were interviewing witnesses who were either near a VIA bus stop, or on a VIA bus near where the shooting occurred.
“Right now we are looking for a possible motive,” McManus said. “We are looking for video footage that may help us identify this individual.”
He said this is everyone’s worst nightmare, from the officers on the department, to officer families, to those who support the police department.
“It’s always difficult, especially in this day and age, where police are being targeted across the country,” McManus said.
Officials later ordered police officers not to attempt any traffic stops unless they had a cover officer.
Outgoing Bexar County Sheriff Susan Pamerleau said county deputies are actively looking for the suspect and assisting SAPD in any way they may need.
In Texas this year, 17 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty. Of those, six were killed by gunfire, including five officers killed in a Dallas ambush in July, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
Since 1791, Texas has had the most law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty than any other state with 1,881, according to the site.
In a news release, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor said this type of crime cannot and will not be tolerated. She gave her condolences to the family of the officer and to the entire police force.
“This type of senseless violence is unacceptable,” Taylor said during an afternoon police press conference.
Gov. Greg Abbott also condemned the killing and said attacks on law enforcement cannot be tolerated and must be met with swift justice. He asked all Texans to join together in prayer for the officer’s family.
RELATED: SAPD Officers who have died in the line of duty
Fifty-two San Antonio police officers have died in the line of duty since 1857, according to statistics from the San Antonio Police Department.
Charley Wilkison, executive director of Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, expressed sadness at “the senselessness of the tragedy” and the fact that Texas has the highest number of police deaths in the country.
“I’ve been at CLEAT for 23 years. If there’s one thing I wish I could’ve impacted it would’ve been to reduce the number of (police) deaths in the state.”
The last San Antonio police officer killed was Robert Deckard, Jr., who died in December 2013.
Deckard, 32, was a seven-year veteran at SAPD who was shot Dec. 8, 2013 as he pursued two robbery suspects. The chase reached speeds of 115 mph, police said. Deckard died after 13 days in intensive care.
Sgt. Kenneth Vann, Sr. was the last law enforcement officer killed from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office. He was shot and killed in May 2011 during an ambush at a red light.
San Antonio native Lucy Aldava heard about the killing and decide to come to police headquarters to show her support.
“I don’t even know the officer’s name, but it does hurt,’ said Aldava who brought flowers and a sign expressing thanks to officers. She said she has many friends on the force. “I think everybody should come and show appreciation in their own way, in whatever way they can, but take your city back.”
In the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, 16 law enforcement officers have died in the line of duty since 1840, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to honoring America’s fallen law enforcement.
News researcher Michael Knoop contributed to this report
That’s what you get for being a pig.
You spent the bribe and extortion money, you enjoyed the traffic-stop rapes, and you got a lot of laughs out of harassing innocent people and shooting their dogs for kicks.
A bullet in the head is exactly what you deserve.
Right on.
Hopefully whoever shot the pig gets away clean. But even if they catch or kill him, he has single-handedly avenged all those who were victimized by that swine.
“Routine” traffic stop”
It should read “Routine” shake down or extortion stop
“He said this is everyone’s worst nightmare, from the officers on the department, to officer families, to those who support the police department.”
I’m not having bad dreams. I’m totally cool with it.
“It’s always difficult, especially in this day and age, where police are being targeted across the country,” McManus said.
If indeed they are being targeted, they should probably ask themselves why. But that’s probably expecting to much.
“In a news release, San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor said this type of crime cannot and will not be tolerated.”
But it’s all fine and dandy when the police do it.
Looking for a motive?
Good luck, Dick Tracy.
To bad so sad, the more that get greased the less likely people will sign up. You can’t tell me the majority of officers are doing the job for moral reasons, if that was the case the code of silence, the drug war and the revuning would be in check.
If you don’t want to get shot, join the rest of humanity and start producing something other than misery and fear.
“If you don’t want to get shot, join the rest of humanity and start producing something other than misery and fear.”
+100.. nice post
Thank you, I feel without police the community would need to be stronger, which would leave the government stuck on creating new policy and collecting more taxes.
“where police are being targeted all across the country.”
Personally, I don’t believe that’s true any more than other times in the past.
Facts, if well founded, would help me be more sympathetic to your plight.
1. Don’t just make stuff up and expect people to believe you without backing your analysis with facts.
That’s the “woe is me” and playing the eternal victim approach.
Very wimpy and unprofessional.
That’s the “tribe’s” SOP. Maybe that’s who you learned it from?
2. Don’t reach back to 1791, 1840 and 1857 to try to exaggerate your statistics.
For cryin’ out loud. Those are all before the Civil War.
This is a ridiculous attempt to inflate the numbers for the dumbshits that don’t pay attention to the dates.
3. Separating out “gun deaths”, in your statistics is a huge propaganda “Red Flag”.
Using the above listed propaganda techniques is very disrespectful to the family. Let the family members grieve without using his death to push a political agenda.
I just watched the top “press conference” video.
Terrible quality video. Even worse audio.
What’s with all of the loud clicking camera sounds?
Virtually all modern cameras do NOT have mechanical shutters so they can take pictures silently if the artificial “shutter sound” is turned off.
The whole “multicultural” scene of this press conference looks artificial.
Who told all of these different people to be in the cameras shot?
Why are they there? Why does no one look particularly upset? They just look bored to me.
I think the loud camera shutter sounds are purposefully used for dramatic effect.
“… Detective Benjamin Marconi, was issuing a traffic citation. As he did so, a black vehicle pulled up behind the officer’s unit.
The suspect got out of the car, walked up to the passenger window and fired one round into the patrol car, hitting Marconi in the head, McManus said. He said the suspect reached in and fired again, hitting Marconi a second time.”
This sounds personal.
‘Bout friggin’ time.
Thanks, Katie! Made my day!
btw, what did you think of the movie?
Remember when the cops shot all those bikers in Waco?
I’m betting the bikers remember
And wouldn’t put it past them to extract restitution for the actions of those cops
This is Punishment/ not revenge