The police say their investigation found that the male allegedly shot himself in the head while running from officers into the drainage ditch.
SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Police Department has released bodycam video of a deadly incident from early December in which officers shot at a man who they say pointed a gun at them.
The newly released video shows the moments leading up to the shooting from the perspective of the officers who chased the man.
WARNING: The following video may be disturbing to some viewers.
On the afternoon of December 3, 2024, an SAPD officer told a male pedestrian he was going to be detained for not using a crosswalk to cross the street at Loop 410 and Jones Maltsberger Road.
In the video, the man can be heard apologizing to the officer but then refusing to follow his instructions. That’s when the man took off running toward a nearby parking garage, where the officer lost track of him.
Another officer heard the chase on radio and was able to locate the man and ultimately chase him to a drainage ditch in the 800 block of East Rector Drive.
Police say when the man ran from officers into the drainage ditch, he was observed holding a gun. The department says the officer feared for the safety of officers nearby, so the officer drew his gun and shot at the man multiple times as he continued running.
As officers approached, the department says they observed him raising his gun. They issued commands for him to drop the weapon, but they were ignored. An officer ultimately fired more rounds at the suspect, striking him in the chest.
Police say they provided life-saving measures to the man until EMS arrived and pronounced him dead at the scene.
He was later identified as Jeffrey Schopp, 33.
The department says its investigation has determined that Schopp shot himself in the head while in the ditch. The investigation into the deadly incident remains ongoing.
No officers or bystanders were injured. SAPD said the officer involved, Officer James Lopez, has four years of service.
The incident marked the 20th shooting involving San Antonio police in 2024.