San Antonio police officer wounded and 2 dead after shooting during traffic stop

SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Two people are dead and police officer was wounded after a traffic stop Friday ended in gunfire, according to the San Antonio police chief.

A fourth person was wounded and has been hospitalized, Chief William McManus said during a brief news conference, noting that his information was preliminary.

Based on his review of the body camera footage, McManus said a San Antonio officer made a traffic stop and had what appeared to be a casual conversation with the driver of the truck for a few minutes.

The driver then pulled a gun for unknown reasons and opened fire, hitting the officer in the hand, McManus said.

The officer retreated backwards while returning fire, killing both the driver and a passenger, and wounding another passenger in the upper torso. Multiple rounds were fired by both the person inside the vehicle and the officer, according to the chief.

The chief said he did not know what prompted the officer to pull the truck over.

“He was an officer patrolling here, (a) routine traffic stop, which turned out to be not so routine after all,” McManus said.

Those killed are believed to be males in their mid-to-late 20s, McManus said.

The officer, a five-year veteran, was taken to a hospital. McManus said he had no information on his condition other than he was able to talk.

“I will also say that the officer is very, very lucky to be alive at that close range, having been shot in the hand, and not somewhere else more vital,” McManus said.