Black Army Vet Was the Second Person Suffering a Mental Crisis Killed by Same Bexar Deputy

The Bexar County sheriff's deputy who shot and killed a Black former Army sergeant during a mental distress call late month also shot and killed a man undergoing a similar crisis 10 years ago, the Express-News reports.

Deputy John A. Rodriguez, 52, fired on and killed Damian Lamar Daniels, 30, on August 25 as the veteran struggled with deputies trying to detain him so he could receive mental health treatment.

That same deputy in September 2010 shot and killed Jack Burney Butler III, a 35-year-old man diagnosed with bipolar disorder, the daily reports. At the time, Butler was intoxicated and distraught over losing his job, according to earlier press reports. Deputies alleged he was brandishing a knife.

“It was 10 years ago, and I’d venture to say that this same deputy has been involved in hundreds of similar calls since then, and there hasn’t been a discernible pattern that I can see,” Bexar Sheriff Javier Salazar told the Express-News.

After meeting with Daniels’ family, Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales also told the Express-News he plans to refer the Daniels case to the county grand jury once BCSO and his office finish their investigations.

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