James Lee Whitehead (a.k.a. Niki Hunter) Photos courtesy J. Johnson

Man accidentally shot dead by S.A. policeman was drag performer
QSanAntonio.com, Updated 6:54 p.m., September 2, 2009

In the early morning hours of Sunday, August 30, James Lee Whitehead (a.k.a. Niki Hunter) had just left the Saint and was walking along Ogden street to his apartment down the street. At the corner of East Park he encountered three armed assailants who knocked him to the ground and began beating him. (See links to related stories below.)

The three assailants were identified by police as Jesse Ramon, 22; Michael Martinez, 21; and Fernando Rodriguez, 21.

Officer William Karman, a one-and-half-year veteran of the San Antonio Police Department, responded to the 911 call from witnesses who saw Whitehead being beaten. As the policeman approached the scene, Martinez and Rodriguez jumped into a white SUV and fled.

Officer Karman saw Ramon on top of Whitehead, pistol whipping him with a handgun. The officer ordered Ramon to drop the weapon. However, Ramon got up and approached the officer with his gun raised.

The officer fired two shots towards Ramon. When those did not stop him, Karman fired three more shots. The second round of shots stopped Ramon but one of Karmen’s five bullets had struck Whitehead in the chest and he died at the Brooke Army Medical Center a few hours later.

Ramon was also taken to the hospital where he was charged by proxy with murder and Aggravated Assault on a Public Servant. Police later apprehended and booked Martinez and Rodriguez as well.

At first, SAPD investigators were unsure which bullet killed Whitehead. Ballistics tests conducted on Monday, September 1 showed the bullet that killed Whitehead had been fired from Officer Karman's gun.

"This is absolutely, totally a clear case of justification of a police officer's actions," District Attorney Susan Reed said at a press conference on Tuesday. Police Chief William McManus called Whitehead’s death an "unfortunate" accident.

A new start in a new apartment

Whitehead had just moved back to San Antonio from Austin in July. He moved into a new apartment near the corner of Ogden and Evergreen with Joseph Johnson (a.k.a. Krista Nicols), his friend of over 15 years.

In an interview with QSanAntonio, Johnson said he did not learn of Whitehead’s death until Tuesday afternoon, just 30 minutes before the SAPD’s press conference where it was revealed that Officer Karman accidentally shot Whitehead.

Johnson says he began to worry on Sunday morning when Whitehead did not come home. He called friends and others in an effort to locate him. On Monday, Johnson called Jim’s Coffeehouse on Blanco where Whitehead worked as a waiter and was told that his roommate had not shown up for work.

On Tuesday afternoon officials from the SAPD contacted Johnson after finding his phone number on Whitehead’s cell phone. Prior to that time, police had not been able to locate any other next of kin.

Johnson said he had trouble tracking down Whitehead’s family -- he is preceded in death by his parents and sister, and is survived only by a niece and nephew.

Johnson located Whitehead’s niece in Marble Falls, Texas, and called her with the tragic news. She will be coming to San Antonio to make arrangements for the funeral. No details about services are available as yet.

Whitehead was both a performer and a promoter. He was the owner of the Miss Gay Universe Pageant.

Johnson says Whitehead returned to San Antonio after finding that he was just not happy in Austin. The new apartment signified a new start for Whitehead who was preparing to participate in a local pageant in the coming weeks.

"It’s very sad," says Johnson. "He was only three blocks from home when he was assaulted."

Donations in the name of James Lee Whitehead can be made to WeAreAlive.org.

Jesse Ramon, Fernando Rodriguez and Michael Martinez were armed with handguns when they assaulted James Lee Whitehead (a.k.a. Niki Hunter) in the early morning hours of August 30. A policeman on the scene accidentally killed Whitehead when he shot at one of the assailants.

No hate crime suspected in robbery
San Antonio Express-News, September 3, 2009
Some in the gay community think James Lee Whitehead was intentionally targeted for his sexual orientation, but police spokesman Sgt. Gabe Trevino said detectives found no evidence of a hate crime, because no witnesses reported hearing derogatory slurs during the incident.

Officer kills man he meant to protect
San Antonio Express-News, September 2, 2009
A San Antonio police officer accidentally shot and killed a man who was being robbed and beaten this weekend, but authorities said Tuesday the rookie officer likely will would not face charges.

SAPD: Officer's Bullet Killed Victim
KSAT.com, September 2, 2009
Calling it an "extremely unfortunate" situation for everyone involved, San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said ballistics tests prove that a robbery victim was fatally shot by a police officer during a shooting early Sunday morning.

SAPD: Officer kills man he was trying to help
WOAI.com, September 2, 2009
A San Antonio police officer who accidentally shot a robbery victim over the weekend while aiming for a suspect was cleared of wrongdoing on Tuesday.