‘Let’s kill him’: Man convicted for threatening Bexar County DA

Martin Patino sentenced to two years of probation for threat on District Attorney Joe Gonzales

Martin Patino. (KSAT)

SAN ANTONIO – A man accused of threatening Bexar Country District Attorney Joe Gonzales in response to a KSAT report was convicted Wednesday after pleading guilty to the charges, court records show.

Martin Patino, 25, was sentenced to two years of probation and must pay court costs totaling $5,500, court records show. He was initially arrested in June 2020 on suspicion of making a terroristic threat of a public servant, but prosecutors ended up charging him with retaliation, records show.

Patino’s arrest followed a response to KSAT Defenders reporter Dillon Collier’s tweet, which indicated Gonzales did not plan to reopen investigations into high-profile fatal shootings by San Antonio police officers.

Patino responded to Collier’s tweet, writing “f*** voting let’s kill him,” according to an arrest affidavit. He also tweeted, “Let’s snatch his a** out that office and it’ll put someone else,” police said.

The affidavit states Gonzales was fearful Patino, whose Twitter handle is Tshirttimeguy, would act on those threats.

The comments were made as Gonzales said he has no plans to reopen the cases of Marquise Jones, Charles Roundtree and Antronie Scott — all of whom were killed by SAPD officers in previous years.

Their cases re-emerged as people in San Antonio and across the world protested racial injustice and police brutality following the death of George Floyd.

Records showed the case was prosecuted by a special prosecutor, as the district attorney’s office recused itself in the case due to being the subject of the threat.

More on KSAT:

Bexar County DA explains reasons for not reopening SAPD shooting cases


About the Authors:

Emmy-award winning reporter Dillon Collier joined KSAT Investigates in September 2016. Dillon's investigative stories air weeknights on the Nightbeat and on the Six O'Clock News. Dillon is a two-time Houston Press Club Journalist of the Year and a Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Reporter of the Year.