BEXAR COUNTY, Texas – A man shot and killed himself while in the custody of law enforcement on Sunday afternoon, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office said.
Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar said 19-year-old Jesus Gonzales took his own life, but the Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office will make the final determination regarding the cause of death.
Gonzales died inside the booking area at the BCSO Adult Detention Center on the 200 block of North Comal Street, the sheriff’s office said.
Sheriff Salazar said the San Antonio Police Department brought Gonzales to be booked into jail. Gonzales was facing a domestic violence choking offense, which is considered a felony, Salazar said.
Gonzales, whose inmate paperwork was being processed at the time of his death, was first patted down by a deputy when he first entered the jail, Salazar said. Gonzales was then strip-searched by a deputy as a part of sheriff’s department protocol, according to BCSO.
As a part of the strip search, Salazar said Gonzales complied with another deputy asking him to take his shirt and pants off. After Gonzales took his pants off, Salazar said he produced a gun under another layer of clothing and took his own life.
Salazar said he was not sure how a weapon made it that far into the booking area of the jail as deputies working in that area are also unarmed.
“Clearly, a weapon was missed,” Salazar said Sunday afternoon.
Salazar said the entire incident took approximately six minutes.
San Antonio police’s homicide detectives will handle the investigation regarding Gonzales’ death.
This is a developing story.
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