SAN ANTONIO – A Bexar County sheriff’s deputy is under investigation after being accused of trying to cover up a crash where he hit a man, which was caught on video.
Christopher Terrazas is on administrative leave, BCSO confirmed to KSAT Investigates on Thursday afternoon.
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Video obtained by KSAT Investigates shows John Zielinski, 62, walking along the access road of Interstate 35 south of Thousand Oaks at around 11:50 a.m. on June 2.
As Zielinski crossed a driveway, footage shows a Bexar County patrol unit driving toward Zielinski, then hitting him.
BCSO said Terrazas was involved in a crash at the same time and location but refused to provide any details because of an ongoing internal affairs administration.
“He could have killed him,” said Linda Coffman, Zielinski’s sister.
She said Zielinski struggles with mental health and taking care of himself.
“He’s not homeless, but people often think that because of the way he looks,” Coffman said.
Coffman believes her brother’s appearance played a role in what her attorney said the deputy did after the crash.
“He panicked, he took care of himself instead of taking care of a human being,” she said.
The family hired attorney Chavo Pastrano, who sent Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar a 9-page letter about the incident.
“Mr. Zielinsky was treated like the least of us who would be forgotten,” Pastrano wrote.
Pastrano said he watched the dash and body camera footage, which he said made it clear that Terrazas caused the crash and took “deliberate and active steps to cover up his culpability.”
“Terrazas can be heard of dash cam video yelling, ‘Oh S---!’” wrote Pastrano.
In the letter, Pastrano said Terrazas put the blame on Zielinski, accusing him of being drunk.
According to Pastrano, Terrazas, a certified EMT, took Zielinski’s vitals and wanted to take him to detox instead of getting Zielinski medical care for his pain.
“Vital signs and a blood sugar check is not medical care,” said Coffman. “He fell on his head.”
Coffman said Zielinski left after he heard that he could be taken to detox.
The Bexar County District Attorney’s Office said there have not been criminal charges filed against Terrazas.
Coffman believes he needs to be held accountable.
“If you want to hold the law and you want to promote the law and you want to be a police officer, then you have to do things the right way,” she said.
Coffman said her brother is being evaluated for a traumatic brain injury and is set to get an MRI.
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