Indian-origin man shot dead by San Antonio police - Here’s why

A 42-year-old Indian-origin man, Sachin Sahoo, was shot dead by San Antonio police after he struck two officers with his vehicle as they were trying to apprehend him in connection with an aggravated assault case, PTI reported. 

Police officer Tyler Turner shot Sahoo on April 21. Originally hailed from Uttar Pradesh, sources stated that the deceased could have been a naturalised US citizen. 

The preliminary investigation revealed that just before 6:30 pm on April 21, officers were dispatched to a home in Cheviot Heights in San Antonion for a report about Aggravated Assault with a deadly weapon, the San Antonio Police Department said in a statement. 

Upon arrival, police officers found a 51-year-old female intentionally struck by a vehicle and the suspect, Sahoo had fled the location. Following this, the victim was shifted to a local hospital in critical condition. 

San Antonio Police Detectives then issued a felony warrant for Sachin Sahoo in the incident. However, Sahoo returned to the original location hours later, neighbors informed the police. 

The cops again arrived at the location and attempted to contact him when he struck two officers with his vehicle. One officer fired his weapon, striking Sahoo, who was “pronounced deceased on scene". 

While the other police received on-the-spot medical attention, the injured cop was sent to a nearby hospital for treatment. Currently, the investigation is underway. 

Police Chief Bill McManus said that Sahoo had run over the woman, who was his roommate, with his vehicle. The woman was undergoing several surgeries and was in critical condition.

The police had issued an arrest warrant for Sahoo and a couple of officers had gone to his known location on April 21 to see if they could find him and arrest him, as per PTI reports. 

A report in Kens5.com quoted Sahoo's ex-wife Leah Goldstein as saying that Sahoo was diagnosed with bipolar disorder. “He suffered the past ten years with bipolar disorder. He also had symptoms of schizophrenia," his ex-wife said. 

“He couldn’t understand what was wrong with him. He would hear voices. And hallucinate and just hear voices and just get stuck in his own mind. I was a stay-at-home mom for many years. He provided for us," she added in the news report. 

(With PTI inputs)