DAMIAN DANIELS

In at least 178 cases from 2019 to 2021, police responding to mental health calls, wellness checks or reported suicide threats killed the individuals they were called to assist.

Sheriff Javier Salazar said there is precedent for taking a family's wishes into account on releasing video, and he plans to keep that within BCSO policy.

Sheriff's office also given 60 days to prepare for compliance with 10-day deadline to release footage from deputies in certain incidents.

A Bexar County grand jury on Monday declined to indict Deputy John Rodriguez in the fatal shooting of Damian Daniels.

The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on Monday released body-cam footage of a fatal shooting involving three deputies and a veteran who was suffering from a mental heath crisis.

A grand jury cleared a Bexar County Sheriff's Office deputy who fatally shot and killed Damian Daniels.

Bexar County commissioners adopted a new body camera policy Tuesday requiring the sheriff's office to release certain videos within 10 days.

Commentary: San Antonio should consider alternatives to co-responder teams that don't involve police for mental health calls.

The family of Damian Daniels continues to call for accountability after he was fatally shot by Bexar County sheriff's deputies during a mental health check.

The family of Damian Daniels protested in front of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday, demanding that Sheriff Javier Salazar release the body cam footage of his shooting death.

RELATED: BCSO deputy arrested for assaulting spouse for second time, officials sayIt was a different version of events than had been previously described to BCSO officials. A subsequent investigation determined that not only had Garza used “unnecessary force” on the inmate but he had then lied during a polygraph test when asked about the incident, BCSO records show. Showed up in full uniformGarza is the latest BCSO deputy whose involvement in a high-profile incident has caused past discipline problems to rise to the surface. Alisha Farmer was also accused of stealing jewelry and cash from the elderly couple, BCSO records show. Salazar, meanwhile, said he is taking steps now to make BCSO a better agency in the future.

Twitter has removed dozens of fake accounts claiming to be Black voters in support of President Donald Trump, including one account that posed as a deceased San Antonio man. The tweets from the account said Daniels was a Black cop who believed the only path to success was with Trump. Twitter has been removing similar fake accounts with pro-Trump propaganda over the last few months. Those setting up the fake account take photos of black men from news articles or stock photos and use them as a guise for Black support for the president. In August, fake accounts claiming to be Black voters were tweeting about an exodus from the Democratic Party because the Black Lives Matter movement pushed them toward Republican values, NBC News reported.

SAN ANTONIO – After serving decades in county administration, former Bexar County Clerk Gerry Rickhoff wants to switch gears. Also, the chief of police, here, Chief McManus, works for a civilian leadership,” Rickhoff said. Rickhoff on Tuesday criticized Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s 3.5-year tenure, saying he believes Salazar’s employees and constituents have lost faith in him. The combat veteran Rickhoff is referring to is Damian Daniels, who was shot by a deputy in late August during a mental health call. Salazar released still photos of the incident but not the full body cam footage.

John A. Rodriguez, Enrique Cepeda and Michelle Garriffa were previously identified by BCSO as the deputies who responded to the call. However, he was placed on leave and later suspended by BCSO in 2013 after being criminally charged with family violence. Salazar, who called himself a big proponent of transparency days after Daniels was killed, had previously released still images that he said show Daniels struggling with deputies. Attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing Daniels' family, disputed that, saying that Daniels was paranoid and in need of help and that his family first called the Red Cross fearing that a law enforcement response would only escalate the situation. The Daniels family has called on the sheriff’s office to release the body cam footage of the shooting.

In the aftermath of Daniels' death at the hands of a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy, Salazar said he planned to release “at least some video” of the incident. Certainly, it’s a graphic video and I know that Mr. Daniels has a family out there. Attorney Lee Merritt, who is representing Daniels’ family, disputed that, saying that Daniels was paranoid and in need of help. Merritt, along with Daniels' family, met with District Attorney Joe Gonzales on Sept. 1 to seek answers on why he was killed. The Daniels family has called on the sheriff’s office to release body cam footage of the shooting.

SAN ANTONIO – The funeral and homegoing services for Damian Daniels, a combat veteran who was shot and killed by a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy in late August, will take place in Alabama. Al Sharpton will officiate Daniels' service at the Alabama National Cemetery in Montevallo, Ala. at 10 a.m. Friday. Daniels’ family is originally from Alabama, according to the organization. From his home in San Antonio, TX we will build a veteran emergency response center. Daniels' family said he suffered from mental health issues, and that he had his “first mental episode” the day of the shooting.

SAN ANTONIO – The fatal shooting of a combat veteran by a Bexar County sheriff’s deputy who was responding to a mental health call was apparently the last straw for Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff regarding the criminal justice system. The county judge on Tuesday released a letter critical of the system that he said is “flawed” and needs to be “fixed.”“Our criminal justice system is systematically flawed to the extent that it fails to administer justice to the poor, the homeless, minorities, and to the mentally ill and drug dependent citizens,” the letter stated. Wolff has been very critical of the Aug. 25 shooting of Damian Daniels, who family members said served two tours of duty in Afghanistan. The victim’s brother, Brendan Daniels, said his brother had no criminal history, but he did have mental health issues. In Tuesday’s letter, Wolff outlined a number of ways he feels would repair the system:Address a number of police and deputy reforms, including use of force.

SAN ANTONIO – Damian Daniels, a combat veteran killed in a shooting during a two-minute struggle with deputies last week, was remembered during a vigil on Wednesday night with candles and concerns for those like him. “So many military (member) come home from combat or military service period with mental health issues,” Price said. Daniels was shot and killed by a BCSO deputy after three deputies responded to his home for a mental health call on Aug. 25. “I let them know my brother was going through paranoia and had a weapon and that he is a military vet,” said Brendan Daniels, Damian Daniels’ brother. Family of combat veteran fatally shot by BCSO deputy calls for Sheriff Salazar to step downDeputies were made aware of the weapon, and a struggle ensued before one deputy fired shots.

SAN ANTONIO – The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has released the names of the deputies involved in the case that led to the death of Damian Daniels, a combat veteran killed in a shooting during a two-minute struggle with deputies last week. Deputies had been called out to the home for a mental health check. The sheriff’s office says deputies spent the first 30 minutes of their response talking to Daniels to de-escalate the situation before the struggle that led to the deadly shooting by a deputy. Daniels’ family said he suffered from mental health issues, and that he had his “first mental episode” the day of the shooting. “When it comes to law enforcement and mental health, I believe law enforcement should not respond to calls like this,” said Brendan Daniels, Damian Daniels’ brother.

SAN ANTONIO – Standing in front of his late brother’s west Bexar County home, Brendan Daniels said Wednesday that Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar should resign. “Because he was so careless with his own deputies, the family is asking him to step down from his office,” Daniels said. Damian Daniels, 30, a combat veteran, who his older brother said served two tours in Afghanistan, was shot and killed Aug. 25 during a two-minute struggle with Bexar County deputies. BCSO has said deputies initially arrived for a mental health check. Brendan Daniels said his brother had no criminal history, but he did have mental health issues,.

Civil rights attorney disputes BCSO’s claim that combat veteran was suicidalPublished: September 1, 2020, 6:23 pmAttorneys for the family of Damian Daniels met Tuesday with Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales to demand justice over the shooting death of combat veteran Damian Daniels by a Bexar County Sheriff’s Office deputy.

Attorneys for the family of Damian Daniels met Tuesday with Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales. If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.