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u.s. news Diahuebs 13 OctOber 2022

Ex-Texas cop charged for shooting teen eating hamburger

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Brennand, a rookie officer,
A now-former San An- reported the vehicle Cantu
tonio police officer was was sitting in had evaded him
charged Tuesday with two the night before during an
counts of aggravated as- attempted traffic stop. Bren-
sault by a peace officer nand said he suspected the
for shooting and gravely vehicle was stolen.
wounding a teen eating a
hamburger in his car in a In body camera footage re-
McDonald’s parking lot. leased by police, Brennand
The teen had begun driv- opens the car door and tells
ing away when the officer Cantu to get out. The car
opened fire. drives backward with the
door open, and the officer
James Brennand, 25, was fires multiple times into the
charged in the Oct. 2 shoot- vehicle. He continues to
ing of Erik Cantu, 17, accord- shoot as the car drives away.
ing to a police statement. He
turned himself in to police Investigators quickly deter-
Tuesday night and remained mined that the use of deadly
in custody, said Police Chief force was unwarranted, and In a press conference Tues- rific.” Cantu’s condition, as related
William McManus. Brennand was fired. Charges day evening, the police chief in his family’s statement, is in
against Cantu of aggravated defended the department’s “There is no question in any- stark contrast to what police
Cantu is still unconscious assault and evading arrest training and said the failures body’s mind looking at that officials said in the wake of
and on life support, his fam- were dropped. were those of the individual video that the shooting is not the shooting: that Cantu was
ily said Tuesday. officer. justified,” McManus said. hospitalized in stable condi-
A police spokesperson did tion.
“There is no improvement not immediately respond to In an appearance on CNN Police officials and the Bexar
in his condition,” the family an inquiry about whether the earlier Tuesday, McManus County District Attorney’s “We’d like to correct any
said in a statement delivered vehicle was actually stolen. said he expected aggravated Office did not immediately misrepresentations that Erik
by their lawyer, Brian Pow- assault charges would be return messages from The is in ‘stable condition’ or he
ers. “The last two days have Brennand is charged with filed, and murder charges in Associated Press. Brennand is ‘going to be fine.’ That is
been difficult, and we expect two counts of assault because the event Cantu dies. has no published telephone not true. Every breath is a
more difficulty ahead, but we there was a passenger in the number and could not be struggle for Erik. We ask for
remain hopeful.” car. The passenger was un- McManus said Brennand’s reached for comment. everyone’s continued prayers
harmed. body camera video was “hor- for our son,” the family said.

US producer price inflation eases to still-high 8.5%

WASHINGTON (AP) —
Inflation at the wholesale Stubbornly-high inflation
level rose 8.5% in Septem- is draining Americans’ bank
ber from a year earlier, accounts, frustrating small
the third straight decline businesses and raising alarm
though costs remain at bells at the Federal Reserve. It
painfully high levels. is also causing political head-
aches for President Joe Biden
Wednesday’s report from and congressional Demo-
the Labor Department also crats, most of whom will face
showed that the producer voters in mid-term elections
price index — which mea- in less than a month.
sures price changes before
they reach the consumer — The Fed has boosted its
rose 0.4% in September from benchmark short-term inter-
August, after two months of est rate by three percentage
declines. points since March to com-
bat rising prices. It’s the fast-
The September monthly in- est pace of rate hikes since the
crease was larger than expect- early 1980s. Higher rates are
ed and was pushed higher by with the Federal Reserve the gas pump are rising again, ing health care, lodging, and intended to cool consumer
a big increase in hotel room likely to continue its rapid squeezing consumers’ bud- shipping — rose 0.4% in and business borrowing and
costs and higher prices for pace of interest rate hikes at gets. September, the most in three spending and bring down in-
other services. Food costs its next meeting in Novem- months. Federal Reserve of- flation..
also rose in September from ber. Excluding the volatile food ficials have recently cited ris-
August, after a slight drop the and energy categories, core ing services prices as a source Wednesday’s producer price
previous month. The cost Wholesale gas costs fell last prices rose 0.3% in Septem- of concern, because they can data captures inflation at an
of fresh and dry vegetables month, but will likely re- ber from August for the third take longer to reverse since earlier stage of production
soared nearly 16% in Sep- verse in the coming months straight month, and 7.2% they mostly reflect the im- and can often signal where
tember from August. now that oil prices are rising compared with a year earlier. pact of rising wages. consumer prices are headed.

again in the wake of planned It also feeds into the Fed’s
The larger-than-expected production cuts by many oil Overall wholesale inflation Health care costs rose last preferred measure of infla-
monthly increase in over- exporting nations. Grocery peaked at 11.7% in March. month, driven higher by tion, which is called the per-
all wholesale prices suggests bills are rising at their fastest a 0.7% increase in nursing sonal consumption expendi-
inflation pressures are still pace in decades, and prices at Services prices — includ- home prices. tures price index.
strong in the U.S. economy,