Otis Tyrone McKane: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know

Otis Tyrone McKane has been identified as the suspect in the ambush killing of San Antonio Police Detective Benjamin Marconi.

Marconi, 50, was shot and killed Sunday morning in his patrol car near the police headquarters during a traffic stop, Police Chief William McManus said at a press conference.

McKane, the 31-year-old suspect, was taken into custody late Monday afternoon without incident, McManus said. He was found in a car with an adult woman and a young child. No one was injured during the arrest.

“We are relieved he was taken into custody without further loss of life,” McManus said. “It’s a relief for a lot of us. Everyone’s looking forward to a good night’s sleep.”

Police said McKane has a criminal record and lives in San Antonio. He was under surveillance prior to his arrest, which occurred on a highway as he was a passenger in the car being driven by the woman, who was not identified.

McManus said “the uniform was the target” for the shooter.

The chief said while most families will be celebrating the holidays, Marconi’s family and the department will be burying one of their own because of an “act of cowardice.”

Here’s what you need to know:

---

1. The Gunman Shot Marconi Twice While He Was Writing a Ticket in His Patrol Car, Police Say

Detective Benjamin Marconi pulled over a vehicle for a routine traffic stop near the San Antonio Police Department’s headquarters just before noon Sunday, KSAT-TV reports.

The shooting occurred about 11:40 a.m. on West Nueva Street near Santa Rosa Street.

Police Chief William McManus told reporters the officer was in his patrol car writing a traffic citation when the gunman drove up near him. The shooter got out of his car, walked up to the patrol car and fired once into the vehicle, McManus said. He then reached into the car and fired a second time.

McManus said the officer was shot twice, including at least once in the head.

San Antonio Police said the suspect fled from the scene in a black vehicle. Chief William McManus said at a press conference the car was possibly a Nissan or Toyota, while others have said it appears to be a Mitsubishi Galant. You can see a photo of the car below:

The vehicle was found and is being searched.

McManus said the shooter drove through the police department’s parking lot to escape from the scene.

He was also seen earlier Sunday morning on surveillance video entering and exiting the police department’s lobby:

McManus said McKane talked with an officer through an intercom system, but would not reveal what was said. He was in the building about 7:30 a.m.

During a press conference after McKane was arrested, McManus did not reveal details of what led investigators to McKane.

The shooting came several hours after a man was fatally shot by police in San Antonio, but investigators have not linked the two incidents.

In that shooting, a man was killed after police said he pointed a gun at officers following a seven-hour standoff at his ex-girlfriend’s home, KSAT-TV reports.

---

2. McKane Was Convicted of Assaulting His Wife in 2012, Court Records Show

Otis McKane was convicted of assault causing bodily harm on a spouse in 2012, Bexar County, Texas, court records show. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail and probation.

It is not clear if he has any other convictions or arrests outside of Bexar County. He went to Fox Tech High School in San Antonio.

McKane will be charged with capital murder in the death of Detective Benjamin Marconi, authorities say. He faces the death penalty or life in prison if convicted.

Police Chief William McManus called the killing “cold and calculated.”

The FBI and other law enforcement assisted in the search for McKane.

McKane was arrested about 4:30 p.m. Sunday on the eastside of San Antonio, the Express-News reports.

The vehicle he was a passenger in was stopped on Interstate 10 East near Ackerman Road, and McKane was taken into custody without incident by members of the police department’s SWAT team, police said.

The woman driving the car and a 2-year-old child have not been identified. It is not yet known if the woman is facing charges.

---

3. Investigators Do Not Have a Motive for the Killing Yet, the Chief Says

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said investigators have not yet determined a motive for the shooting.

McKane is being questioned by detectives, and McManus would not reveal what he has told investigators so far.

“Right now we are looking for a possible motive,” McManus said, according to the San Antonio Express-News. “It’s always difficult, especially in this day and age, where police are being targeted across the country.”

He called the shooting “everyone’s worst nightmare. You never want to see this happen.”

San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor offered condolences to the officer’s family and the members of the city’s police department.

“This type of crime cannot and will not be tolerated,” she said in a statement. “I ask for the community’s thoughtfulness and patience as the investigation continues.”

Texas Governor Greg Abbott also offered condolences and condemned the “horrific act of violence,” in a statement posted on Twitter.

“We ask that all Texans join us in praying for the officer’s loved ones as they deal with the aftermath of this unimaginable tragedy,” Abbott said. “Attacks against law enforcement officers will not be tolerated in Texas and must be met with swift justice, which is why I look forward to signing my Police Protection Act into law — making targeted attacks against law enforcement a hate crime.”

---

4. Marconi Was a Father of 2 Children & the Son of a San Antonio Detective

Detective Ben Marconi, a 20-year veteran of the police department, was rushed to the San Antonio Military Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, KSAT-TV reports.

Police Chief William McManus said he met with the family of the slain officer at the hospital after the press briefing Sunday afternoon.

Marconi was the father of two children, who are in their 20s, and became a grandfather earlier this year. He shared a photo on Twitter with his grandson on Father’s Day:

Marconi’s late father, James Marconi, was a San Antonio police officer for 32 years, retiring as a detective investigator.

“At this time, the Marconi family would like to give thanks from the bottom of our hearts for the outpouring of support, prayers and love we have received. At this time, we would appreciate privacy to mourn the loss of a wonderful father, brother, grandfather, friend and last, but not least, a peace officer,” the family said in a statement, which also thanked the San Antonio community and others around the country for the support they’ve received.

---

5. The Shooting Was One of Four Attacks on Police Officers Nationwide on Sunday

Marconi was one of four police officers shot in the line of duty Sunday across the country. The three other shootings had similarities to the Marconi shooting.

A St.Louis Police sergeant was shot in the face by a gunman in a car while conducting a traffic stop on an unrelated vehicle, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The sergeant was in critical, but stable, condition Sunday night. The gunman in that shooting, George P. Bush III, was later killed during a shootout with police.

An officer was shot in the shoulder in a drive-by shooting on the small Florida island of Sanibel, The News-Press reports. The officer, the first to be shot in the line of duty in Sanibel’s history, is expected to survive. He was also on a traffic stop and was shot by a driver in another car. A suspect is in custody.

The fourth officer was shot Sunday night in Gladstone, Missouri, according to KCTV. The officer is expected to survive. A suspect was also shot, and his condition was not immediately known. Few details about that shooting have been made public, but according to the Post-Dispatch, the officer was also on a traffic stop when he was shot.

Marconi was the seventh officer to be shot and killed in the line of duty in Texas this year, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page. There have been 57 officers killed by gunfire nationwide.

Five of the Texas officers were killed during the attack on Dallas Police at a protest in July. Dallas Police Senior Corporal Lorne Ahrens, Sergeant Michael Smith and Officers Patricio Zamarripa and Michael Krol were killed along with Dallas Area Rapid Transit Officer Brent Thompson.

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus referenced the Dallas shooting, along with the ambush killings of three Baton Rouge police officers, during a press briefing Sunday afternoon.

“Unfortunately like Dallas like Baton Rouge it’s happened here,” McManus said.

After the shooting in Dallas, Marconi tweeted a photo of a T-shirt with a message saying the San Antonio Police Department stands with the Dallas officers. Proceeds from sales of the shirt went to the fallen officers’ families.

The other Texas officer was killed in March.

Euless Police Officer David Hofer was shot and killed while responding to a shots fired call.

Marconi is the first officer shot and killed in the line of duty in San Antonio since December 2013, when Officer Robert Deckard Jr. was shot while chasing robbery suspects, according to the San Antonio Express-News.