A teenager who was fighting for his life after he was shot by a San Antonio cop has been released from the hospital after almost a two-month stay, his family confirmed Wednesday.
Erik Cantu — who was shot multiple times by Texas police officer James Brennand at the McDonald’s parking lot — was able to be home for the holidays and his family said their “prayers have been answered.”
“We are incredibly grateful that our son is home with us,” the family said in a statement posted on Twitter by their attorney Ben Crump. “Erik still has a long road to recovery ahead of him but we are overjoyed at his progress in the past two weeks.
“It means the world to us that we can spend Thanksgiving as a family outside of the hospital walls, where we have lived since Erik was horribly injured.
“We are thankful for many blessings this week – Erik’s strength, everyone who has supported us through Erik’s hospitalization, and the grace of God. Thank you.”
At one point during his grim hospital stay, Cantu’s family said he was on life support, according to an October Fox News Digital report. Despite the grim conditions, the family said then they remained hopeful.
Earlier this month the family said he was awake and alert after he was taken off a ventilator, the San Antonio Express-News reported.
Meanwhile, Brennand is facing two counts of aggravated assault by a public servant after a probe was conducted into the Oct. 2 incident.
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He was fired quickly after the incident.
Police accused Brennand of violating procedure and training after he went up to the car.
Cantu was eating a burger inside the car when Brennand, a rookie cop still on probation, arrived at the fast food joint to respond to an unrelated disturbance, police said.
Brennand spotted Cantu’s car, which he believed evaded him the day before, and demanded the teen get out of the car and opened the driver’s side door, police training commander Alyssa Campos said during an October press conference.
“With the vehicle door still open, the driver put the vehicle in reverse and attempted to leave. The officer was hit by the open door. The officer then stepped back and opened fire on the vehicle as the driver reversed away from him,” Campos said.
Brennand fired his weapon several times as the car reversed and continued as it fled the scene, authorities alleged, before Cantu, who was with an unhurt passenger, was found by police.
The car’s registration plates did not match the vehicle, but the car was not stolen, police said.
With Post wires
