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Michael Kirkland

Age : 40

Gender : Male

Race : White

Date : 08/31/2023

Location : Interstate 10 East near South New Braunfels Avenue

City : San Antonio

County : Bexar

State : Texas

Agency : San Antonio Police Department

Officer(s) :Jason D. Owen

Cause of Death : Gunshot

Event : Killed by police during arrest

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/30/2023, at approximately 2:15 p.m., San Antonio Police Department Street Crimes Unit officers were conducting surveillance in the 6800 block of Cross Spring for Michael Kirkland, 40. SAPD said Kirkland was wanted on an active warrant for aggravated assault against a public servant. Police later said he also had other outstanding felony and misdemeanor warrants, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Officers located Kirkland in a vehicle and attempted a traffic stop. Kirkland continued driving away. During the pursuit, he stopped long enough to allow a woman who was riding with him to get out of the vehicle, then continued driving. According to SAPD's subsequently released critical-incident video, Kirkland struck a marked police patrol vehicle, drove the wrong way on the Interstate 10 East access road and crashed into a civilian vehicle.
Kirkland got out of the crashed vehicle and ran while officers pursued him on foot. SAPD alleged that Kirkland fired multiple rounds toward the pursuing officers. One officer, subsequently identified as Officer J. Owen, an eight-year SAPD veteran assigned to the Street Crimes Unit, was struck in the arm. Two officers returned fire as Kirkland continued running down a grassy embankment toward the main lanes of Interstate 10.
According to police, Kirkland reached the interstate and attempted to obtain another vehicle while continuing to fire his gun. SAPD alleged that he pointed and fired at passing motorists while attempting to carjack them. Police said one woman refused to surrender her vehicle and Kirkland fired at her; she was not struck.
Two SAPD officers exchanged additional gunfire with Kirkland on Interstate 10. Police gunfire struck Kirkland, and he died at the scene. Officer Owen was transported to a hospital in stable condition. The shooting and investigation resulted in an hours-long closure of Interstate 10 around South New Braunfels Avenue.
On 09/23/2023, SAPD released its critical-incident video of the encounter. The release included body-camera footage showing the vehicle pursuit, Kirkland running from police, exchanges of gunfire and the final shooting on Interstate 10. SAPD stated that the Bexar County District Attorney's Office was reviewing the police shooting.
Kirkland's death became part of a broader public dispute between SAPD Chief William McManus, the San Antonio Police Officers Association and Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales over people accused of violent crimes who remained in the community. Gonzales publicly reviewed seven cases involving Kirkland dating from 2019 through 2023. Several had been dismissed because prosecutors could not locate or obtain cooperation from complainants or witnesses, while another evading case was dismissed because prosecutors reported that law enforcement had not provided video needed to establish the pursuit.
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OFFICER BACKGROUND
Officer Owen has a significant disciplinary history:
2019 — 27-day suspension. SAPD disciplined Jason Owen after he used a homophobic slur and profanity toward a man while clearing a crowd on Southeast Military Drive. The investigation also found that Owen failed to activate his body camera for the first seven minutes of the encounter.
2022 — 15-day suspension. Owen was riding with Officer Anthony Brown when their marked patrol car, traveling about 71 mph, collided with another vehicle. The officers continued driving without stopping to check on the people in the other car. Investigators also found that Owen turned off the patrol vehicle's in-car recording system multiple times, turned off his body camera while speaking with another officer, and failed to report Brown's policy violations to a supervisor.
2024 — another 5-day suspension. SAPD found Owen had been working an unreported off-duty job as a courtesy officer at his apartment complex while on limited-duty status. Records say he improperly accessed department calls-for-service information in connection with that work, failed to obtain the required permit for the outside employment, and failed to report his change of address.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/30/sapd-shuts-down-part-of-i-10-on-east-side-due-to-active-crime-scene/
https://www.fox7austin.com/news/suspect-dead-after-shootout-with-san-antonio-police-on-i-10
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z0unZVsBk8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maQ7F3hDIHs
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/09/23/video-bodycam-captures-moment-man-was-fatally-shot-after-opening-fire-on-drivers-police/
https://www.tpr.org/criminal-justice/2023-08-30/police-firefight-with-suspect-on-i-10-leaves-suspect-dead-officer-wounded
https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local/article/michael-kirkland-jacob-string-san-antonio-sapd-18385623.php
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/08/31/district-attorney-addresses-criticism-from-sapd-chief-sapoa-about-habitual-offenders-on-the-streets/