Cop shoots toolman

[TheeBadOne]

S.A. cops kill ex-con during traffic stop

A 22-year-old man who allegedly lunged at San Antonio police officers while holding needle-nose pliers was shot by two officers and killed early Tuesday following a traffic stop for a minor infraction.

Paul J. Vara was struck three times by officers David Lohaus and Jason Mooney, who fired 11 rounds at Vara.

Officer Christopher Martinez tried to pull Vara over at about 3 a.m. at Blanco Road and Barchester Drive because his car didn't have the rear license plate lighted, said Gabe Trevino, a police spokesman. But Vara refused to pull over.

Rachel Torres, his ex-girlfriend, and two boys ages 3 and 4 were in the car with Vara. Torres said Vara had fought with his current girlfriend Monday night and had gone to Torres for help. They were on their way to a motel when Martinez tried to stop them with his patrol car's emergency lights.

Torres said she pleaded with Vara to stop, but he told her he didn't want to go back to jail and continued driving.

"I was screaming at Paul, 'Stop! Stop the car!'" Torres said later Tuesday.

Vara had been convicted of leaving the scene of an accident and driving while intoxicated, according to county records, and had been arrested at least three other times.

Torres, who dated Vara for three years and has a 3-year-old son with him, said that Vara, a high school dropout, was a good father. But she said she ended the relationship because he was abusive.

When Vara finally stopped for officers, he held the pliers to Torres' neck and told police he was going to kill her, Torres said. "I didn't think he was going to do anything," she said. But she also acknowledged she was scared.

While Vara was threatening to kill her with the pliers, he apologized for everything he had put her through and told her two boys he loved them. "I think he was just depressed," Torres said.

Police said Martinez, a four-year veteran, thought Vara was holding a knife and ordered him to drop it. Instead, Vara started chasing Martinez from Dorset Street to a yard on Barchester. Trevino said Martinez was trying to avoid using deadly force against Vara when he ran.

Lohaus and Mooney arrived to back up Martinez and opened fire when Vara made a threatening gesture at them.

"I think he wanted to die," Torres said. "He was tempting the cop."

Lohaus, a 10-year veteran, and Mooney, who had been with the department for a year, were both put on routine administrative duty while the department investigates the shooting.



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