Grand jury declines to charge deputy who fatally shot San Antonio veteran Damian Daniels

A grand jury won't bring charges against a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who fatally shot a combat veteran last year while the man was experiencing a mental health crisis, KSAT reports, citing confirmation from the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office.

Deputy John Rodriguez shot Damian Lamar Daniels, a Black Army veteran, outside his Northwest San Antonio home during an Aug. 25, 2020 mental health check. Rodriguez fired after trying to take away Daniels' loaded gun, according to media reports.

The high-profile case fueled community outrage and prompted the county to launch a new program creating a mental health unit to handle such calls.

The Bexar County District Attorney’s Civil Rights Division presented the case to a grand jury, which opted to clear Rodriguez of wrongdoing, according to KSAT. A memo explaining the facts and legal issues considered by the panel will be posted online Tuesday, according to the station's report.

As of press time at 11:30 a.m., that case memorandum hasn't yet been posted on the Civil Rights Division's webpage.

However, the Bexar County Sheriff's Office on Monday released body-cam footage of the shooting. The age-restricted footage, which shows Daniels' interaction with Rodriguez and two other deputies, includes violent content and foul language, so some readers may not want to watch.

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