SAN ANTONIO – Retired San Antonio police officer Sgt. Coy Boone was shot in the line of duty 43 years ago and he’s still living with the effects of his wounds.
Following his injury, Boone was promised all of the medical care related to his gunshot wounds would be covered for life.
So why has it taken him more than a year to get approved for dental implants and why did it take just one e-mail from KSAT Investigates to solve the problem?
November 13, 1979, was Coy Boone’s worst day as a San Antonio police officer. As a founding member of the department’s SWAT Team, he was the only sergeant working that day.
Fellow officer Michael Young had been shot by a 19-year-old man Young had suspected of being a delinquent teen from a local high school.
The suspect, 19-year-old Javier Sanchez, pulled out a .357 magnum and shot Young in the hand and leg.
Sanchez fled the scene and was spotted going into some homes on Biering Street.
Boone and dozens of other officers were surrounding the home when Sanchez quickly came out the front door and opened fire.
“He just pulled out a gun and shot an officer at the door,” Boone recalled. “And then the other officers just responded and shot him.”
Video footage of the incident captured the hail of bullets fired by officers in the direction of Sanchez. Boone was on the front porch, caught in the line of fire.
“They opened fire at him and I was just about to shoot the man. Then I got hit here, here and here,” Boone recalled as he pointed out where he was hit. “Three times in the vest and three times in the body.”
He was hit by friendly fire.
“The way I was hit, it was a ricochet off the house. A shotgun pellet,” Boone said.
A third officer, Oscar Gallo, was also hit once in the left arm by a bullet fired by Sanchez.
Boone, Gallo and Young survived their injuries and returned to duty. Boon went on to serve another 19 years at SAPD and several more years in local law enforcement before retiring.
Even now, he still carries souvenirs from that November day in 1970. One is a shotgun pellet in a frame that dented his SAPD badge. The other is still inside him.
“Yes, right here in my throat,” Boone said.
He’s also still living with the effects of the medications he was on for years to control seizures caused by his injury.
“The side effect of one of those medicines, I don’t know which one it is, but it causes periodontal disease,” Boone said.
Following his injury, the city agreed to cover all of Boone’s medical expenses related to the shooting for the remainder of his life through the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool (TMLIRP).
For years everything’s been covered by worker’s compensation, including several dental procedures.
So when Boone’s dentist told him he needed dental implants in 2021, he submitted the proposed treatment plan for approval. There was no immediate response.
Following the death of Boone’s wife last year, his daughter Becky Kozowyk stepped in to help her father get the care he needs.
“He needs about $15,000 roughly in dental work,” Kozowyk said. “The dentist is ready to do the work, it’s just, we’re waiting for a guarantee that it will be paid for.”
That treatment proposal was sent to the TMLIRP way back in September of 2021. Kozowyk said they never got a reply, so she sent a follow-up email in June of 2022 to the TMLIRP requesting approval in writing.
It never came. Kozowyk said the medical claims specialist handling her dad’s case told her that wasn’t necessary.
“There’s no prior authorization needed or that they don’t do those. But when speaking with his dentist, they told me they can’t do the dental work without a prior authorization,” Kozowyk said.
For five months they heard nothing. Then they contacted the KSAT Investigates team for help.
On November 28, KSAT Investigates reporter Tim Gerber sent an email to the TMLIRP. Within hours of sending the email, the person handling Boone’s case sent an email to Kozowyk stating the procedure, “had been approved months ago.”
Boone’s dentist also received an approval letter that day. It was dated June 6, 2022, the same day Kozowyk had originally sent her e-mail seeking approval.
The dentist’s office told Kozowyk they had no record of the letter ever being sent to them before November 28.
“She said we hadn’t received anything until yesterday and I trust them because I know that had they received something, an approval, they would have called my dad,” Kozowyk said.
While it’s difficult to say who was ultimately responsible for the unnecessary delay, it now appears everyone is on the same page and Coy Boone is on his way to getting some new teeth.
He already has plans for his first meal.
“I’ll probably go eat a steak,” Boone said.
His daughter is convinced they would still be fighting for his benefits had KSAT Investigates not stepped in.
“None of this would have happened without all of the hard work you put in to help Dad,” Kozowyk wrote in a message. “We’re very grateful to you! Thank you!”
Boone was notified by his dentist last month everything is now on track. His dental work will be covered and paid for and he should start the process of getting his new teeth later this month.
Boone’s dentist did not want to participate in this story.
KSAT Investigates got this response from the Texas Municipal League Intergovernmental Risk Pool. While they couldn’t talk specifically about Boone’s case they said, “The TML Risk Pool strives to give our worker’s compensation claimants prompt attention ... The Pool with certainly pay for reasonable and necessary medical care that’s related to an on-the-job injury, including dental.”
We’ll let you know when Mr. Boone gets his new implants.