BEXAR COUNTY, Texas — A 56-year-old father is facing an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge along with a domestic violence-related charge after he pulled a gun and fired one shot while deputies attempted to handcuff him during a domestic violence call in far north Bexar County on Sunday night.
Sheriff Javier Salazar said the incident occurred at a home on Rustic Brook near Highway 281, a residence with a significant history of domestic violence. Deputies had responded to the address 14 times in the past year and a half.
The suspect, described by Salazar as having a violent criminal history consisting mostly of assaultive-type charges, allegedly assaulted his 30-year-old son. When deputies arrived and made contact inside the residence, they initially took the father into custody with minimal resistance.
According to Salazar, the situation escalated as deputies began to handcuff the man. The suspect produced a weapon from his waistband. Deputies were close enough to restrain his hand—while the gun was still in it—but he managed to fire one shot. The bullet struck the floor, and the gun then jammed. Deputies wrestled the suspect to the ground and secured the weapon without any further shots being fired.
“No one was struck by the bullet, and no deputies were injured,” Salazar said. He praised the deputies for their restraint, stating, “This suspect is absolutely fortunate that these deputies were in a position to show a great deal of restraint. There is no doubt in my mind that the actions of these deputies tonight saved the life of that suspect.”
The 30-year-old son sustained injuries to his face but was able to walk around and was otherwise okay. A woman at the home, who was a witness, suffered a medical episode and required treatment from the mental health unit.
Salazar noted that the two deputies involved have been placed on administrative duty while the shooting is investigated, per department policy. This is standard even though the deputies never fired their weapons, as it is classified as an officer-involved shooting.
The sheriff used the incident to issue a broader warning about domestic violence. “If you find yourself in a violent relationship, get yourself out of that situation,” Salazar said. “You never want to see anybody’s marriage or relationship end. But unfortunately once that violence starts to kick in, you’ve got to get yourself out of that situation or it’s going to continue to escalate until somebody gets hurt or killed.”
This marks what Salazar described as by far the most serious offense linked to the suspect at this address.