SAN ANTONIO – A law enforcement expert is questioning how Comal County sheriff’s deputies handled a call involving Brandon Poulos the night before he shot seven San Antonio police officers.
Records obtained by KSAT 12 reveal Poulos had threatened to kill himself, his wife, deputies, and SAPD officers. However, after a five-hour standoff, deputies left, believing Poulos had fallen asleep. The following night, he opened fire on SAPD officers in Stone Oak.
Law enforcement expert William Vasquez Ng, who spent 30 years as a law enforcement professional, expressed concerns about the handling of the situation.
“We should take every single measure possible within our legal rights to protect our community. And I just feel that didn’t happen,” Ng said.
Poulos, who had previously assaulted two family members, was also threatening suicide when deputies arrived. Instead of taking him into custody, they left and filed charges “at large.”
“They had an opportunity to take somebody into custody who was a threat to the community,” Ng said. “I don’t believe that allowing him to stay in a home in hopes he falls asleep was the appropriate action.”
Ng also criticized the lack of communication between agencies, stating that other law enforcement entities should have been notified.
“They could have called other local agencies,” Ng said. “Be careful. He’s a threat. He’s threatening to kill a law enforcement officer. That didn’t happen.”
Ng said law enforcement across the country has been focusing on de-escalation tactics, but he believes that not every situation should be handled the same way.
“Every area is different. The culture is different. The people you deal with are different,” he said. “In this particular situation, you take the mental illness into account.”
All seven SAPD officers who were shot have since been released from the hospital. One officer has already returned to full duty, according to SAPD.
KSAT 12 has reached out to the Comal County Sheriff’s Office about what the records revealed but has yet to hear back.