San Antonio police have retracted their previous claim that the fatal shooting of actor Jonathan Joss wasn’t a hate crime, admitting the statement was “way, way premature.”
Police Chief William McManus told reporters on Thursday that his department jumped the gun when they said earlier this week there was “no evidence” Joss was shot by his neighbor because of his sexual orientation.
“Shouldn’t have done it,” McManus confessed. “It was way too soon before we had any real information and I will own that. … We simply shouldn’t have done that.”
Joss, an actor known for his roles on “King of the Hill” and “Parks and Rec,” was visiting the site of his former home, just south of San Antonio, when he was gunned down Sunday evening. Authorities arrived to find the 59-year-old lying in the roadway and “attempted life-saving measures,” but he was ultimately pronounced dead on the scene.
Witnesses later told investigators that prior to the gunfire, Joss had been locked in a feud with his neighbor, Sigfredo Ceja Alvarez. Joss’ husband, Tristan Kern de Gonzales, said they’d been harassed by Alvarez for years and blamed homophobia for his spouse’s killing.
“My husband Jonathan Joss was murdered in a hate crime,” de Gonzales posted on Facebook. “He spent years begging for help, reporting threats, pleading for protection. The police ignored him. Now they want to act like they care about queer lives and indigenous lives. They don’t care. This is not justice. It’s a spectacle.”
Alvarez was arrested shortly after the shooting and booked on a charge of murder. However, he has not been charged with a hate crime.
McManus clarified on Thursday that hate crimes are not separate charges in Texas, though intent can be taken into account during sentencing if a suspect is convicted. He also acknowledged Joss’ murder has raised concerns within the city’s LGBTQ+ community.
An investigation into the shooting and what motivated it is ongoing. McManus said Joss and his husband had issues with multiple neighbors through the years, and that law enforcement had fielded roughly 70 disturbance calls involving Joss as either a victim or an alleged culprit.
Alvarez was released from jail Monday night on $200,000 bond and is currently awaiting indictment.
