A Boerne man remained hospitalized Wednesday night after he was shot by a Comal County deputy early that morning, investigators said.
William Grady Orr Jr., 36, was shot three to four times by a .357 SIG-Sauer handgun after he reportedly attacked Deputy Scott Masters, 39, who was trying to detain him, Comal County sheriff’s investigators said.
Sheriff’s Detective Sgt. Tommy Ward said he did not know Orr’s condition Wednesday evening and did not know if the man’s injuries were considered life-threatening.
A spokeswoman with University Hospital in San Antonio said Orr’s condition was being kept confidential because of the circumstances of the shooting.
Ward said the shooting happened shortly after 5 a.m., when Masters saw a Ford Mustang pulled over on Farm-to-Market 306 near the Eagle Rock Road intersection.
“The vehicle’s muffler was dragging, and the officer pulled over to see what the situation was,” Ward said, adding that both a man and woman were inside the car. “The driver initially falsely identified himself and the stories that he and the girl were giving didn’t match up.
“The officer decided to handcuff the subject while he investigated further,” he said. “At that time the man became violent.”
Comal County sheriff’s Cpl. Tim Kolbe said Orr spun around while Masters was cuffing him and knocked the officer over. Orr reportedly struck Masters with his fists and kicked him in the head and torso.
“The officer perceived the need to use deadly force and fired his weapon,” Kolbe said.
Masters told investigators that Orr had a knife in the front pocket of his pants. While Ward said a folding knife was found on the ground at the scene, however, it was not clear if the weapon was drawn during the fight.
The woman, whose name was not being released Wednesday, will not be charged and is fully cooperating with investigators, Ward said.
Orr’s identity was not confirmed by investigators until Wednesday evening, he said, adding that Orr has several active local arrest warrants for his arrest and initially gave the Masters the name of another person with a criminal history.
Kolbe said Masters, who has been with the sheriff’s office for more than three years, was treated for minor injuries received during the struggled with Orr and released from McKenna Memorial Hospital on Wednesday.
“His weapon has been taken as evidence,” Kolbe said. “He’ll be given a few days to decompress and there will be psychological counseling available if he chooses to go.”
Ward said Masters has been placed on administrative leave pending the results of the investigation, according to the agency’s policy. He said Masters, who had not prior reports of using deadly force during his time with the sheriff’s office, did not have time to call for backup because the situation escalated so quickly.
The last time a Comal County sheriff’s deputy used deadly force was on Sept. 10, 2005, Ward said. Two deputies shot Irving Wayne West, 48, when he brandished a weapon at them in what Ward called an attempt at “suicide by cop.”
West, a McQueeney resident, was arrested Oct. 11, 2005, for aggravated assault of a public servant with a deadly weapon. He died of a heart attack about a month later while in custody at Comal County Jail, Ward said.
Jessica Sanders can be reached at jsanders(at)herald-zeitung.com.
