Neighbors, 911 calls and body cameras featured as trial shows officers were shot responding to October 2023 family disturbance

A San Antonio jury heard testimony and watched body‑cam and door‑camera footage Wednesday in the trial of a man charged after officers were shot while responding to a family disturbance on Oct. 19, 2023.

Monette Ellis, a witness who was present at the scene, testified the defendant — identified in court as Jesus 'Jesse' Prado — poured gasoline on her and that she was told at the time "Jesse had shot 2 officers." On cross‑examination she acknowledged the statement that she heard from the scene and told the jury she was "on the verge of hysterical" when she relayed what she heard to a neighbor. Ellis also identified a jail phone call and other materials the State laid foundation for during direct examination.

The trial record includes multiple authenticated videos and recordings. The court admitted State's Exhibit 15 after briefing outside the jury and subsequently admitted additional items the State identified as exhibits 17–22 and 24–25 and admitted Defense Exhibit 1 without objection. Neighbors who saw or heard events testified that Monette arrived at one house smelling of gasoline, she reported a threat of a "shootout" if police arrived, and that gunfire started about a minute after civilian occupants were brought indoors for safety.

Neighbor Carol Syszepankiewicz told jurors she brought the two small children who had been with Ellis into her home and smelled gasoline on Ellis's clothing; she said she later changed Ellis into other clothes. Carol described banging on neighbors' doors to get children out of the street when officers first appeared and said she heard rapid gunfire shortly after having the children inside.

Another resident, Anthony (Ruben) Casares Jr., authenticated a 911 call he made from his house as officers arrived; the recording was played for the jury and admitted (State's Exhibit 18). Casares told jurors he saw officers arrive with long rifles and hurried children inside and away from the scene.

Detective Santiago Viscara of the San Antonio Police Department, who responded to the disturbance, testified that he and another officer approached a residence where they could smell gasoline and observed what they believed was a barricaded subject with rifles. Viscara described putting on rifle‑rated protective gear, calling for backup and deploying a rifle to create distance and hold the scene for additional resources. On his body‑cam footage and dash camera the jury saw officers take cover and heard rounds fired; Viscara testified he was hit in the upper left arm while in the line of duty, received wound care at BAMC and required weeks of follow‑up care and physical therapy.

Viscara said he returned fire to "stop the threat" and later estimated he fired roughly 42 rounds in suppression and return fire. He testified that an officer‑involved shooting investigation cleared him of wrongdoing in his decision to use his rifle in the incident. The recorded footage and the bodies of evidence were accepted into the record without objection from the defense on stipulation in court.

Counsel for the defense probed the social and family history presented by the witness Monette Ellis, establishing a 22‑year relationship, the filing for divorce earlier in 2023, family bereavements and prior serious accidents involving the defendant. Defense counsel also introduced a group text message as Defense Exhibit 1 to show family reaction in the aftermath. Prosecutors emphasized the audio and video foundations and witnesses' contemporaneous statements describing gasoline and an imminent threat to officers.

The judge instructed witnesses that the sequestration rule applied and excused witnesses when their testimony concluded. The court recessed at the close of the day and told jurors the trial will resume the following day at 1:30 p.m.; jurors were reminded not to research the case or discuss testimony outside the courtroom.

Actions recorded at the hearing included multiple evidentiary rulings: State's Exhibit 15 (admitted after a relevance balancing ruling), State's Exhibits 17–22 and 24–25 (video and photo evidence) and admission of Defense Exhibit 1. The court invoked the witness sequestration rule and set the next session time for the jury and counsel.

The trial record for the day centers on contemporaneous recordings, neighbor observations of gasoline on a witness, multiple corroborating camera angles and the San Antonio officer's testimony that he was shot and returned suppressive fire. The officer testified an internal investigation cleared his use of force and he described ongoing physical and emotional effects from the injury.