SAN ANTONIO – Bexar County District Attorney Joe Gonzales is rejecting accusations of lenient bail policies following a letter from U.S. Rep Chip Roy.
Roy’s letter on Wednesday raised the alarm about bail policies in Bexar County after police say Brandon Scott Poulos, 46, shot at several officers on Jan. 22 at a Stone Oak apartment complex.
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In a press release on Monday, Gonzales said public safety has been his “top priority” since taking office and allows the magistrate’s office to set bond amounts at their discretion.
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The District Attorney’s office does not set bond amounts but only makes recommendations, he said.
“I have never instructed any of my prosecutors to recommend a low bond on a serious or violent crime,” he said in the press release. “In fact, during the entire tenure of my 6 years as Bexar County District Attorney, our bond recommendations on violent crimes have been consistently high.”
In the case of Poulos, Gonzales' office recommended bond amounts totaling $40,000, which were later reduced by $5,000 by the magistrate judge.
Poulos, who was in the Navy for 10 years, was accused of injuring seven San Antonio police officers before he fatally shot himself.
At that time, he was out on bond. Just a few days earlier, on Jan. 18, he was arrested for a family violence incident where he allegedly assaulted three people, including two older individuals.
Despite the charges, he was released on bonds totaling $35,000 the next day:
- $15,000 for each charge of injury to an elderly
- $2,500 for family assault
- $2,500 for DWI
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Before the Stone Oak shooting, Poulos was involved in a tense standoff with Comal County deputies on Jan. 21, where he threatened officers and violated a protective order. This led to a warrant for his arrest just hours before the Stone Oak incident.
Roy used Poulos' case to highlight how lenient bail policies can put public safety at risk. Roy questioned Gonzales on why someone with a criminal history like Poulos was released.
In Monday’s response, Gonzales said Roy incorrectly stated that Poulos had a “lengthy criminal history.”
At the time of Poulos' arrest on Jan. 18, Poulos' last-known arrest in Bexar County was in 2013 for an assault. That case was ultimately dismissed.
Gonzales said there were two or three unconfirmed cases from California over 20 years ago.
“At the time my prosecutor recommended bonds on January 19th, 2025, Mr. Poulos had no arrests for over 10 years,” Gonzales said in the release. “Nothing in the information that my prosecutor reviewed at the magistrate’s office predicted that this individual would later ambush and injure 7 SAPD officers,” adding that experienced prosecutors “do not have the ability to predict the future.“
“It is wrong for Congressman Roy or anyone else to lay the blame for this shooting on anyone other than the shooter,” he said.
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In his letter last week, Roy stressed the need to consider safety risks when judges set bonds and questioned the decision to let Poulos post bail despite his record.
This incident has sparked significant concerns about the effectiveness of current bail reform measures in keeping the community safe. Roy also referenced a 2023 letter he sent to Gonzales about another suspect accused of shooting three SAPD officers.
Read Gonzales' full letter below.
Read Roy’s full letter below.
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