SAN ANTONIO — Body camera footage showing an asylum-seeking teen being tased by a Bexar County deputy inside a San Antonio shelter last year has prompted an investigation while gaining national attention.
The nonprofit news outlet Reveal obtained the video, and shared the 13-minute clip with KENS 5. It depicts the aftermath of deputies being called to the Southwest Key Programs in May of 2020, where the caller reported a juvenile was angry and uncooperative, according to investigators.
The Bexar County Sheriff's Office reported the teen damaged several bed posts and storage containers. A staffer can be heard in the footage telling the responding deputy the teen was acting "crazy" and breaking things.
About a minute into the video, the deputy can be heard asking the teen, "What's going on?" The 16-year-old, however, doesn't speak English. A staff member, speaking in Spanish, tried to calm him down for several minutes, but the teen said he isn't going anywhere.
Five minutes after the deputy first talked to the boy, he started tasing him. The deputy can be heard telling a staff member to step out of the way before telling the teen to "stand up, turn around now."
The video shows the deputy tasing the boy for at least half a minute, during which time he can be heard shouting in pain. The boy then gets up and asks where he's going, to which the deputy responds with, "El stupido," or "stupid." The teen was eventually put in the BCSO patrol car and detained.
Father Phil Ley with Posada Guadalupe, another local organization which helps migrants, saw part of the video and called the response "disgusting."
"I think it was most uncharitable and most unhelpful," Ley said.
KENS 5 reached out to Southwest Key Programs, which provided the below statement:
"We have seen the recently released police body camera video and find it distressing and hard to watch. Our staff uses de-escalation strategies in difficult situations, and we request law enforcement help only in cases where the minor presents a danger to themselves or others.
"It should be noted that it is rare and not common for us to involve law enforcement, and we only do so in the very few situations where there is a clear danger to an individual or a staff member.
"The safety of those in our care and our staff is Southwest Key's top priority. We take this responsibility seriously, and our staff works hard to provide compassionate, quality care. Our childcare providers have significant experience in trauma-informed care and follow best practices for de-escalation. They make a concerted effort to understand each individual child's needs so that we can provide the best care possible during the short time they are with us."
"We understand that we provide care to young people who have suffered various traumas while coming to this country as unaccompanied minors, and we do our best to provide the highest level of care we can under what are often challenging circumstances.
"Southwest Key has incredible people on its team providing care and helping those who need help, and we will do our best as we continue our efforts to care for those who are in our shelters."
BCSO told KENS 5 that once Sheriff Javier Salazar found out about what happened, he called for an internal affairs investigation. It will determine if the deputy did anything wrong.
BCSO authorities added the deputy involved has been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation. When KENS 5 requested the video from the sheriff's office, officials said they were unable to release it as it involves a minor and an ongoing investigation.