Report: Suicidal man fired twice at BCSO deputies before he was killed by them

Matt Mathison, 59, armed with revolver in wooded area

SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County deputies were fired at twice by a suicidal man before a deputy shot back, killing the man earlier this month, a report filed Thursday said.

Matt Mathison, 59, died May 5 on the 3-acre property at 16860 State Highway 211 North he called home.

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The custodial death report filed by the Bexar County Sheriff's Office Thursday said deputies were called to the home "for a suicidal subject who had taken pills."

The first deputy on the scene joined family members looking for Mathison when they heard a gunshot from a wooded area on the property.

"Fearing that the subject killed himself, the deputy and a family member went to search in the wooded area. The responding deputy contacted the subject in the wooded area and the subject started shooting at them. The deputy could not fire back due to the family member getting in the way (not intentional) so both retreated," the report said.

After more deputies arrived, they established a perimeter and waited for SWAT and negotiators to take over. While they waited, they said Mathison "was heard yelling out that he wanted to die" and "fired more gunshots at a deputy who was on (the) perimeter" the report said.

"As the subject started to walk out of the wooded area, he was holding a .44 magnum revolver in his hand. The subject then started to raise his arm pointing the revolver in the direction of the deputy on (the) perimeter that he had just shot towards earlier. The deputy then fired one round at the subject striking him in the torso," the report said.

Mathison died at the scene.

That deputy is a 13-year veteran of the force and will be placed on administrative leave, per BCSO policy, Sheriff Javier Salazar said.

Salazar said deputies had been to the home before on reports of family disturbances, but had never been able to make contact with Mathison. He said Mathison was usually gone from the home before they arrived.