“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows neither victory nor defeat.”
― Theodore Roosevelt
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024...kills-himself/
Security concerns raised as teenager smuggles gun into Bexar County Jail and kills himself
Jesus Gonzales pulled out a gun while a deputy was strip-searching him and shot himself
SAN ANTONIO – A 19-year-old man walked into the Bexar County jail Sunday afternoon to be booked.
Six minutes later, he was dead.
“It’s pretty apparent to us that it appears to be a suicide,” said Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar.
KSAT does not typically report on suicides, but we found this raises public safety questions about how a gun made it into what’s supposed to be a secure area.
Salazar said Jesus Gonzales was arrested after he was charged with domestic violence choking, a felony.
“By our policy, we strip search all inmates that are brought in on a felony,” explained Salazar.
He said Gonzales pulled out a gun while a deputy was strip-searching him and shot himself.
“How did the gun get there?” asked KSAT reporter Daniela Ibarra.
“It’s a secure facility,” responded Salazar. “I mean, literally nobody is armed. Not even us.”
Salazar said the semi-automatic handgun “should have been found before it got to that point.”
San Antonio police said an officer arrested Gonzales Sunday morning on a family violence warrant and took him to jail.
According to San Antonio police policy regarding searching prisoners, officers are responsible for searching those they arrest for weapons, dangerous objects, contraband, or evidence.
“Transporting officers are held accountable for any prisoner arriving at a detention facility or processing room with a weapon, dangerous object, or contraband on his person,” the policy states.
“Clearly a weapon was missed,” said Salazar.
KSAT reached out to SAPD twice via email on Sunday. We requested to speak with Chief William McManus about the incident.
KSAT also asked if the arresting officer found any guns on Gonzales before bringing him to jail and if any action was being taken.
As of Sunday evening, KSAT has not gotten any answers.
“All we can assume at this point is that he came into the facility with the weapon, hidden under several layers of clothing,” said Salazar. “But still, absolutely the weapon had to have been, should have been found before that.”
Salazar said the deputy who witnessed the suicide is on administrative duty.
He said none of the deputies in that section of the jail were armed or hurt.
https://www.kold.com/2024/03/01/irs-...XSktjSppMDw9CE
IRS agent indicted in deadly shooting of fellow agent following Phoenix training exercise
IRS Criminal Investigations Agent Patrick Bauer was killed in the incident last August
The indictment here: https://s3.documentcloud.org/documen...ment-brown.pdf
PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — A federal agent has been indicted in connection with the shooting death of an Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI) agent immediately after a training exercise in Phoenix last year. On August 17, 2023, Special Agent Patrick Bauer was shot during training at a federal gun range located on prison grounds in north Phoenix.
IRS Special Agent Larry Edward Brown, Jr., 42, of Peoria, appeared before a federal judge in Downtown Phoenix on a charge of involuntary manslaughter of an officer of the United States. Brown appeared in court Friday wearing sweatpants and was released following the hearing. During the hearing, prosecutors said the widow of Agent Bauer opposed Brown being released.
According to the indictment, IRS special agents were at a federal firearm range for pistol qualifications and classroom training, whereas Brown, an IRS-CI agent for over 12 years, was a trained Use of Force instructor. After training concluded for the day, Brown and Bauer, who were also trained Use of Force instructors, were in a small building on the gun range known as the “tower,” where instructors observed training.
That’s when prosecutors say, “Brown handled his firearm without due caution and with reckless disregard for human life” and shot Bauer once in the torso. According to the indictment, an IRS-CI agent walked into the tower, where Brown and Bauer were the only ones inside, and that he walked back out to get his cellphone. The agent told investigators that seconds later, he saw Brown run out of the tower yelling, “I f***** up, I shot Pat!”
Bauer was taken to HonorHealth Deer Valley Medical Center, where he died. Meanwhile, court documents say Brown was taken to another hospital and treated for shock. The indictment says that while at the hospital, Brown repeatedly said to himself, “I’m a Use of Force instructor. I should know better.”
Following his initial appearance in court Friday afternoon, a trial date was set for April 2, and Brown was released. If convicted, he could face up to eight years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Bauer was a retired master sergeant with the Arizona Air National Guard and served with the 161st Air Refueling Wing Security Forces Squadron, the National Guard said in an email. He served over 20 years, completing multiple state missions and overseas deployments.
“Our hearts go out to MSgt Bauer’s family, friends, and all those who had the privilege to work with him. His service to the state and nation will forever be remembered,” Maj. Gen. Kerry L. Muehlenbeck, Arizona National Guard Adjutant General, said in a written statement. Bauer is survived by his wife and four kids.
Bauer was part of the IRS’s Criminal Investigations unit with the Phoenix Field Office. He had been with the agency for 15 years.
Special agents with IRS-Criminal Investigations are the law enforcement branch of the IRS. They are fully sworn law enforcement officers investigating violations of the Internal Revenue Code, including potential tax crimes, money laundering, and some bank secrecy act violations. According to the IRS, the Criminal Investigations Division comprises 3,000 employees worldwide, with 2,100 of those being special agents.
The IRS told Arizona’s Family Investigates that the Phoenix Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigations covers four states: Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, and Utah. The office has approximately 90 special agents.
According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, a website that tracks law enforcement line-of-duty deaths, this is the fifth line-of-duty death involving IRS Criminal Investigations and the first involving a shooting death.
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2024...-past-2-weeks/
Another suspected car burglar shot by vehicle owner; 3rd in past 2 weeks
Suspect died from his wounds
SAN ANTONIO – For the third time within two weeks, a person suspected of breaking into a vehicle in San Antonio has been shot and killed by the owner.
The most recent incident happened around 2 a.m. Monday at an apartment complex in the 13900 block of Babcock Road, just a few miles from the main campus of the University of Texas San Antonio.
According to a preliminary report from San Antonio police, a 26-year-old car owner told officers he shot a man who he found inside his vehicle.
He said he heard glass break outside his apartment, then confronted the other man who he believed was armed with a gun.
The car owner fired shots, killing the suspected car burglar, the report said.
Investigators questioned the car owner, but he is not facing charges at this time.
This is the third case of this kind in the last two weeks.
On February 27, a Northeast side homeowner also shot a suspected car burglar, sending him to a hospital.
That man, who wanted to remain anonymous, spoke to KSAT 12 News that day, saying he fired at the suspect after he felt threatened.
He said security cameras outside his home on Caribou Creek alerted him to someone in his driveway.
That’s when I saw a guy with a red hoodie inside on of my vehicles,” the car owner said. “So, I grabbed my firearm that I keep next to my bed.”
The homeowner says once he walked outside, he faced a life-or-death decision. He believed that man also was armed.
“In the pitch black, he was advancing me with what looked like he had a weapon in his hands. At that point, I felt like I was protecting myself,” he said. “I wasn’t trying to take someone’s life for personal property.”
Yet another case on March 5 also resulted in a suspect being shot and killed.
The owner of a truck told police he fired at a man who was attempting to drive off in his truck in the middle of the night.
The suspect ran after being wounded, leaving a trail of blood throughout the apartment complex, located in the 8200 block of Micron Drive.
Police found Juan Castaneda, 37, lying on a walkway. He died from his wounds.
All three shootings come at a time when car burglaries and car thefts are showing no sign of slowing down.
SAPD figures show there were 21,488 vehicles burglarized last year, and 19,563 vehicles stolen.
Since January, there have been 3,039 car break-ins, and 2,673 auto thefts reported.
At this time, no charges have been filed against any of the car owners involved in the shootings.
Police say the cases all remain under investigation.
^^^^^ "theft in the nighttime" = justified use of deadly force in Texas.
No comment on whether it's a smart thing to do.
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776
The statute doesn't tell the whole story.
One of the things I hate about Texas is “car gun” culture. For decades prior to concealed carry licenses Texas had a weird loophole that let people carry guns in their cars but not on their person. Since people are lazy many have continued the car gun practice despite Texas now having both LTCs and constitutional carry.
As a result, theft of firearms from vehicles is rampant and one of the second order effects is that the majority of car thieves, car burglars and catalytic converter thieves are armed with guns stolen out of vehicles. They are also working in pairs or groups of 3 or 4 and using contact cover type tactics with 1 or 2 armed suspects providing overwatch from the (usually stolen) get away vehicle.
The suspects are getting more aggressive as well. In addition to the three suspects recently being shot by homeowners, we recently had a car burglar shoot a clearly unarmed homeowner for no discernible reason. We had a similar shooting where a group of car burglars shot an unarmed homeowner who was leaving for work in the early AM.
All of which to say that it is a reasonable assumption that car thieves/car burglars are both armed and dangerous. Dismissing such encounters as “mere property crime” is both foolish and dangerous.
Close to where I used to live, yet again, HCM! Don't forget folks, that some dude once thought he was Green Arrow in San Antonio. He went out with his bow and was shot dead by the crooks.
Cloud Yeller of the Boomer Age
Definitely this...
When I posted earlier, I was thinking about whether it was a good idea to confront a theft in progress or just call the PD... Not only would a confrontation run the risk of getting shot over property, or having to live with shooting someone else over property, but you'd run the risk, even in TX, of an overzealous DA running up a legal bill for you, even though deadly force is justified by Texas code.
So... "Long guns from the rooftop", FTW.?
"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." - Thomas Jefferson, Virginia Constitution, Draft 1, 1776