Off-duty officer helps stop carjacking suspect after firing single gunshot at vehicle, SAPD says

SAN ANTONIO – An off-duty police officer helped stop a suspect on the run in a stolen vehicle on the Southwest Side after firing a single gunshot, according to San Antonio police.

The incident began around 4 p.m. Sunday when officers were called to a robbery in progress.

Police said the suspect carjacked a woman at gunpoint and took off before officers arrived at the scene. The vehicle was reported stolen.

Hours later, around 6:30 p.m., police saw the stolen vehicle around town and tried to stop it but were unsuccessful. SAPD put out a notice of the stolen vehicle over the police radio.

An off-duty officer heard the report and later recognized the stolen vehicle.

The officer tried to stop it by firing a single gunshot when the vehicle reached SW Military Drive and Whitewood Street.

Police said the vehicle was hit by the bullet, but not the driver. No injuries were reported.

The vehicle continued down the road a few more blocks before the driver failed to negotiate a turn at Old Pearsall Road and Hillburn Drive and crashed, according to SAPD.

More officers arrived at the scene and took the suspect into custody without incident. The gun used by the suspect in the carjacking has been recovered, police said.

The information is preliminary and could change as the investigation continues. We’ll update this article as more details become available.