by | Published
A routine patrol in the vicinity of Calavareas Lake led to a deputy-involved shooting Saturday night after a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy attempted to stop a stolen vehicle in southeast Bexar County near Dover Drive and Aleta Avenue.
At approximately 8:30 p.m. on June 21st, a deputy patrolling the area received a license plate reader (LPR) hit on a late-model BMW convertible that had passed him traveling in the opposite direction. The vehicle was reported stolen out of Atascosa County last week.
The deputy turned around, got behind the vehicle, and attempted to initiate a traffic stop while notifying dispatch. The driver, a 31-year-old male, fled at a high rate of speed, prompting a pursuit on Hwy 181. The suspect then turned into Dove Dr.
The pursuit ended on Aleta Avenue, a dead-end street, where the deputy reported that the suspect vehicle appeared to be slowing to a stop. The deputy, assuming the suspect would stop at the dead-end, exited his patrol car and ran around the back of the his own vehicle to the passenger side when the suspect made a sudden U-turn and began moving toward him. The deputy discharged his firearm, firing seven shots and striking the driver three to four times in the upper body.
The suspect then crashed his vehicle and both the male driver and a female passenger exited the vehicle following commands. The driver was transported to a hospital for emergency surgery and is expected to survive. The female sustained minor injuries from the wreck.
According to Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar, the male suspect is a registered sex offender with a criminal history that includes Aggravated Sexual Assault of a Child and drug offenses. He also had outstanding warrants at the time of the incident.
The deputy, who has been with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for less than a year, has been placed on administrative leave, per departmental policy. The agency’s Internal Affairs and Homicide units are conducting a joint investigation.
