ELMENDORF, Texas – UPDATE: The Bexar County Medical Examiner has identified the man killed in this shooting as 47-year-old Jesus Bonito Garcia.
ORIGINAL: The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is investigating an officer-involved shooting in Elmendorf.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said Elmendorf police were called to the 17000 block of Blue Horizon for an alleged family violence disturbance involving a weapon after a neighbor reported seeing a man dragging a woman into the home by her hair.
When the Elmendorf officer arrived on the scene, he called for assistance and a Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy showed up soon after.
Salazar said the man had a weapon in his hand, possibly a screwdriver, and approached the officer and deputy in a threatening manner.
The deputy opened fire, hitting the suspect in the upper body, Salazar said.
The man, who hasn’t been identified and is believed to be in his 40s, died at the scene.
Salazar said deputies found a box cutter in the yard and a screwdriver in the home.
Deputies are interviewing family members of the victim and the suspect and getting a warrant to search the home, Salazar said.
Salazar said BCSO has been out to the home “an extensive amount of times” in the past in response to calls for domestic-violence and mental health-related issues.
The deputy who shot the man has been on patrol for about a year, but has been with BCSO for about five years, Salazar said.
Neighbors say the woman in that home had been seen knocking on neighbors’ doors before, and at times, she appeared to be mentally unstable.
“She was saying something about needing to call the police because her husband was trying to kill her. It’s like she had two personalities,” said Erica Carrillo, a resident who loves nearby.
Neighbors say they’re not surprised the situation ended tragically.
BCSO says both the police officer and deputy were wearing body cameras, which will help in the investigation.
“Our actions are determined by the actions of the suspect on the scene, and what we’re doing is trying to stop them. We’re not here to hurt anybody,” Salazar said.
