BEXAR COUNTY – A man involved in an hours-long standoff with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on Sunday was screaming that he was “going to die” and was “taking officers with him,” according to an arrest affidavit.
BCSO deputies took the man, later identified as 55-year-old Salvador Gonzales, into custody before 7 p.m. when the standoff ended peacefully, Sheriff Javier Salazar said.
Gonzales was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a public servant, Bexar County Jail records show.
According to an arrest affidavit, deputies responded to a family disturbance around 2 p.m. at a home in the 2800 block of High Castle, off of Highway 211 in West Bexar County.
Gonzales, a military veteran who is diagnosed with PTSD, was armed with a black AR-15 rifle and was arguing with his wife, the affidavit states.
A deputy observed Gonzales in a Jeep SUV at the entrance of the subdivision, and when the deputy made his way toward the Jeep, Gonzales drove off and pulled into his driveway.
Gonzales stepped out of the vehicle, grabbed the rifle and screamed at the deputy, telling him that he was ready to die and yelling racial slurs, the affidavit states.
The man pointed the rifle at the deputy “while advancing in an aggressive manner” as the deputy took cover.
BCSO said the man pointed the rifle at the deputy a second time and screamed that he was “going to die” and was “taking officers with him.”
Salazar said deputies “stayed out of the suspect’s way” as the suspect then retreated back inside of his residence.
Gonzales kept going back and forth into the front yard, officials said.
Negotiators were dispatched to the home and Gonzales eventually surrendered to authorities after a five-hour standoff.
He was taken to an area hospital for mental health treatment, according to Salazar.
Salazar said this isn’t the first time deputies have been dispatched to this address.
The incident was “brought on by most likely PTSD symptoms and there may have been some family stressors ongoing that led to this,” Salazar said Sunday.
The man was taken in for a mental health evaluation several months ago; however, since that time, Salazar said he obtained the AR-15 rifle. Deputies are still working to figure out where he got the weapon.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
Deputies also conducted a second search of the man’s house, which is standard protocol to an incident involving SWAT, Salazar said.
His bond was set at $75,000, records show.
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