BCSO: Deputy's ‘demeaning' Snapchat of man in holding cell under investigation

SAN ANTONIO – A courthouse security deputy with the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office is under investigation after posting a video of a man having an emotional outburst in a holding cell to Snapchat and captioning the video “cry baby.”

The Sheriff's Office has declined to identify the deputy. However, the deputy goes by "Will" on Snapchat.

In the video, the man in the holding cell is heard telling the deputy he will be "on the news" if any of his items are moved. The courthouse security deputy replies, "On the news for what?" He says that he didn't move any of the man's items and that "I'm sure your homeboy's got it."

The video ends with the deputy filming the man from behind through the window of the holding cell, telling him to have a seat and relax because the man would be "out of here in like 30 minutes." 

Johnny Garcia, a spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office, said the video was brought to the office's attention and forwarded to internal affairs immediately after it was received Wednesday. He called the video demeaning and an obvious violation of policy.

Chief Deputy Harry Jimenez said the video, which was shot at the Cadena Reeves Justice Center, was embarrassing to the agency.

“This is the first time something like this happens,” Jimenez said. “We take very seriously, our jobs.”

Jimenez said the courthouse deputy's youth may have had something to do with the incident, saying, “We have a very young deputy and many of the younger generation live their lives through social media.”

He said that the investigation could lead to a suspension, or even termination, for the deputy.

The Sheriff's Office released the following statement on the video:

"Immediately after this video was brought to our attention, BCSO Internal Affairs opened an investigation into this incident. The video recorded was in violation of courthouse security policy, and is swiftly being addressed through the appropriate disciplinary protocols."