18-year-old critically injured after being shot by San Antonio Police during traffic stop

 18-year-old critically injured after being shot by San Antonio Police during traffic stop

SAN ANTONIO - An 18-year-old man is in critical condition after he was shot by a San Antonio Police officer during a traffic stop late Tuesday night on the West Side.

The shooting happened just before 11 p.m. after officers tried to stop a vehicle near Old Highway 90 and Commerce Street.

Police said the driver initially refused to stop, and officers followed the vehicle until it eventually pulled over near San Gabriel Avenue and Buena Vista Street.

One officer got out and began talking with the driver. Police said that's when the 18-year-old passenger got out of the vehicle and ran toward the patrol car, where a second officer was still sitting.

Police said the passenger confronted the officer, and the two became involved in a physical struggle. During that struggle, police said the 18-year-old reached for a gun. The officer then fired several shots.

The 18-year-old ran from the scene after the shooting. At the same time, police said the driver of the vehicle also took off.

The first officer stayed behind to help the officer who had been involved in the confrontation.

Police searched the surrounding area and eventually found the wounded 18-year-old a few blocks away, hiding in weeds near an abandoned building.

He was taken to the hospital in critical condition and underwent surgery overnight.

Neither officer was injured.

Police said the officer who fired the shots has been with the department for seven years and will be placed on administrative duty while the shooting is investigated.

The driver who ran from the traffic stop had not been located at last check.