Two people were fatally shot and a San Antonio police officer was wounded in what officials said started as a routine traffic stop on Friday morning.
The gunfire erupted shortly after police pulled over a car and an officer engaged the driver in what appeared to be casual conversation for a few minutes, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said.
“At some point, I’m not sure why, but the driver pulled a gun and started firing and the officer was hit in the hand,” McManus told reporters near the scene after reviewing video from the policeman’s body-worn camera.
“He retreated backward, returning fire inside the vehicle,” he added.
The driver and a passenger, both of whom were men estimated to be in their 20s, were killed, McManus said. Another passenger was wounded and was rushed to a hospital.
The police chief, stressing that his information was preliminary, said he did not know what prompted the traffic stop.