Overview
- Body camera video released Tuesday shows Civilian Response Unit specialist Edward Zapata helping a resident reach cover after being shot in the eye with what police described as a pellet gun.
- Zapata was taking a vehicle burglary report Tuesday on North Juliet Lane when a man opened fire with a rifle, prompting his urgent radio call for officers.
- Responding officers exchanged gunfire as the shooter ran, and a search that lasted for hours led to an arrest near Riverside Drive and Brittany Place after nearby schools went into lockdown.
- Police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Angel Cantu, who is jailed on three counts of aggravated assault against a public servant and a parole violation tied to a prior felony robbery case.
- Zapata, a 30-year Marine veteran and Purple Heart recipient who joined the unarmed CRU in February, is recovering at home with another surgery expected as the chief evaluates how to improve CRU safety, noting no prior on-duty injuries since the unit launched in 2021.