Man shot dead at San Antonio West Side bar

SAN ANTONIO — A customer described as drunk was shot to death early Thursday by an employee of Barton's Boozery, a bar in the 7000 block of West Military Drive, police reported.

The employee, Orlando Dewain Lopes, 34, told police the man, 42, was very intoxicated when Lopes took his car keys away about 2:30 a.m.

Lopes told the customer he wasn't going to let him drive drunk, police said, and to call a family member or a cab.

The customer became aggressive and started to argue, Lopes told police.

Lopes added that the man reached behind his back multiple times, and he thought the man had a knife.

Lopes said the customer pulled a black Sig Sauer .9 mm handgun from behind his back and pointed it at Lopes, who then pulled his own Glock .45 automatic pistol and demanded the man put his gun on the ground. He then fired what he thought were three shots at the man, police said.

Lopes checked if the man still was alive, moved the gun away and called police to report the shooting. Police said he put both guns on a counter.

The older man, who hadn't been identified, had several gunshot wounds, officer Roger Zuniga said. Emergency medical technicians pronounced him dead about 2:30 a.m..

Police don't anticipate filing charges against Lopes, but the case is still under investigation, Zuniga said.

Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission records indicate the bar has 15 administrative violations on file since 2000. The bar was fined and apparently received a four-day suspension in 2010 for permitting consumption of alcohol during prohibited hours, the records show.

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