Authorities say a 49-year-old man surrendered after a standoff at an east-side apartment complex.
SAN ANTONIO, TX — A Bexar County deputy constable survived after a bullet struck his protective vest Tuesday afternoon when gunfire erupted during an eviction serving at an east-side apartment complex, prompting evacuations and a joint SWAT response before a suspect surrendered.
The shooting, reported just after 4 p.m. on Dec. 9 at the Artisan at Willow Springs Apartments in the 500 block of Gembler Road, rattled residents and shut down parts of the area for hours. Sheriff Javier Salazar said deputy constables from Precinct 4 were attempting to serve court-ordered eviction papers when a man opened fire from inside an apartment. The deputy who was hit was wearing body armor and is expected to be OK. Investigators detained a 49-year-old man on suspicion of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer while they processed the scene and interviewed witnesses.
Neighbors described a rush to shelter as tactical vehicles converged and officers ordered people indoors. Valerie Mendoza, who lives nearby, said she heard shouting as a SWAT team moved through the complex, then saw officers direct families away from the open courtyard. “SWAT came in and said everyone get inside, get your kids inside; there’s an active shooter,” Mendoza said. She added, “It could have been so much worse,” noting the deputy’s vest stopped the round. Residents in adjoining buildings were told to remain inside as teams took positions on stairwells and breezeways and used loudspeakers to communicate with the suspect.
Authorities said the volley of shots began as deputies worked to open the door with help from building maintenance. No bystanders were reported injured. The sheriff said the suspect continued firing after the initial strike on the deputy, forcing deputies to retreat and call in a combined SWAT element from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office and the San Antonio Police Department. After negotiators arrived, tactical crews deployed chemical agents into the unit. The man surrendered around early evening and was taken into custody without further gunfire, according to officials at the scene. Investigators noted the deputy constable has served more than a year with Precinct 4. Officials said they would review radio traffic, body-worn camera video and apartment security footage as part of the inquiry.
Detectives remained at the complex into the night, photographing a second-floor landing and collecting shell casings from inside the apartment. The sheriff said the suspect may have prior military experience, a detail investigators are working to confirm through records. The immediate focus is documenting the door breach attempts, the angles of shots fired and the distance between the doorway and the hall where deputies took cover. Property managers provided access logs and a list of recent maintenance calls tied to the unit. Fire crews ventilated the apartment to clear tear gas residue after the arrest. Officials did not release the deputy’s name, citing safety protocols, and said the suspect’s exact charges could expand once ballistics and property damage assessments are completed.
The incident unfolded on San Antonio’s East Side, where large complexes line Gembler Road near Willow Springs. Eviction-related service calls are common in December as leases turn over and courts clear dockets before the holidays, according to county officials. While deputies serve such notices regularly, gunfire during a civil process is rare and treated as an attack on an officer performing a court order. In recent years, local agencies have paired constables with additional units for higher-risk postings and have trained with apartment management on coordinated entries when a tenant does not respond at the door. Tuesday’s response, including joint SWAT activation and rapid neighborhood lockdowns, follows those procedures meant to contain unpredictable situations inside multiunit buildings.
Investigators plan to submit the case to prosecutors after completing interviews and evidence collection. As of Wednesday morning, the man was expected to face at least one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer. The sheriff’s office said it would review whether additional counts apply for rounds fired toward multiple deputies. Officials said the constable’s office will conduct an internal after-action review, a standard step after an officer is struck. Any court appearance for the suspect would likely be scheduled in the coming days, pending formal booking and charging. Authorities said they may release the deputy’s name once family notifications and medical checks are complete. A more detailed timeline of the standoff and the deployment of chemical agents is expected in an update when evidence technicians finish processing the unit.
As residents trickled back outside after sunset, the courtyard still smelled faintly of tear gas and the whirr of fans echoed from a corner unit’s broken windows. Parents guided children around police tape while tenants filmed the scene with their phones. “We just waited and prayed,” said a man who asked not to be named because his family remained in the building. Another neighbor, carrying groceries he left behind during the shelter-in-place, said he watched officers take positions along the stair rails and felt “relief” when the suspect walked out with his hands up. By late evening, maintenance staff taped off the door where the breach was attempted, and patrols circled the complex as detectives loaded evidence bags into vans.
By early Wednesday, investigators said no additional suspects were being sought and the area was reopened. The next expected update is a charging decision and booking details, anticipated after evidence review and interviews conclude later today. The deputy constable was evaluated and released, according to officials, and the apartment where the gunfire originated will remain sealed while technicians finish processing the scene.
Author note: Last updated December 10, 2025.