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SAPD Officer Dies Following Thursday Shootout

Joey Palacios
/
Texas Public Radio
SAPD Officer Miguel Moreno

Update 4:50 PM: The Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office now confirms Andrew Bice committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. The story has been updated to reflect that.

Update: 3:50 PM: SAPD has identified the suspect in Thursday's shooting as 34-year-old Andrew Bice.

Updated Story: A San Antonio police officer has died after being shot in the head during a gun fight Thursday. Officer Miguel Moreno is the second San Antonio police officer to die in the line of duty in less than a year. Moreno and his partner were responding to a suspicious persons call when one suspect opened fire.

Officer Miguel Moreno was a nine year veteran of SAPD. He died Friday morning after spending almost 19 hours on life support. Moreno, and his partner Officer Julio Cavazos, were patrolling north of downtown San Antonio when they spotted two suspicious persons. Police Chief William McManus says when the officers exited their vehicle, one suspect 34-year-old Andrew Bice opened fire.

“All they were going to do was contact these two individuals … things went bad real quick,” the chief said.

Moreno was shot in the head and went down.  Cavazos was shot in the chin but managed to pull Moreno out of the line of fire.

“The suspect continued to fire. Officer Cavazos, even in the condition that he was in returned fire,” McManus added.

Cavazos shot Bice. But the Bexar County Medical Examiner's Office now confirms Bice committed suicide with a gunshot wound to the head. The second suspect was arrested but may not be charged.  The motive for the shooting is unknown. Mike Helle is the president of the San Antonio Police Officer’s Association. He says fellow officers describe Moreno as a hard-charger who will be missed.

“Somebody that always went beyond the call of duty when it came to doing his work and his job,” Helle said.

Cavazos is expected to survive his injuries. Officer Moreno is survived by his mother, father, three sisters and a brother.

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ORIGINAL STORY: The San Antonio Police Department reports Officer Miguel Moreno, a nine-year veteran of SAPD has died following his injures sustained Thursday. His partner Julio Cavazos, who also sustained injuries, is recovering at San Antonio Military Medical Center. Both men are in their 30s.

The two officers were responding to a suspicious persons call before 4:00 p.m. Thursday near Evergreen and Main. When they located two people, they got out of their patrol car and one suspect opened fire. Moreno was shot in the head and fell by the driver’s side door. Cavazos pulled Moreno away from the line of fire and fired back hitting the armed suspect. Cavazos was also hit – although it’s unknown at what point in the exchange Cavazos was shot.

"Officer Cavazos, even in the condition he was in, returned fire, struck him in the buttocks. He made his way to the corner, where [the suspect] dropped and eventually passed," SAPD Chief William McManus said at a Friday morning press conference.

The suspect was also hit in the head. The two suspects have not been identified. The living suspect is being treated more as a witness than being involved in the shooting. The chief said the two individuals knew each other but not very well.

This is a breaking news story and will be updated throughout the day.

Joey Palacios can be reached atJoey@TPR.org and on Twitter at @Joeycules