Kier Simpson was waiting for his daughter to be dropped off from a sleepover. He said police ultimately mistook him for another possible burglary suspect.
SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio husband and father is demanding answers after he said police held him at gunpoint and handcuffed him outside his own home while officers were responding to a report of a possible burglary suspect.
The encounter happened Saturday night on the city’s southeast side in the 700 block of Avondale Avenue and was captured on the homeowner’s security camera.
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Keir Simpson said he was outside waiting for his younger daughter to be dropped off from a sleepover when San Antonio police officers arrived with their guns drawn.
“I wasn’t asked any questions. I wasn’t asked my name,” Simpson said.
Security camera video shows officers ordering Simpson to get on the ground and put his hands behind his back.
“What’s wrong? There’s nobody in my house, it’s my daughter,” Simpson can be heard telling officers.
“At that point it was just kind of like comply or die,” Simpson said. “I just did what I was told.”
As Simpson remained on the ground, video shows him repeatedly asking officers what he had done and telling them he was at his own home.
“Is this your house?” an officer asks in the video.
“Yes, it’s my house, man. What’s going on?” Simpson responds.
Simpson said his wife was at work at the time, while his other daughter watched the encounter unfold from inside their home.
“My daughter comes and she finally sees after I’m calling her,” Simpson said. “She’s probably traumatized.”
At one point, Simpson can be heard telling his daughter to close the door, call her mother and tell her to contact his lawyer.
After Simpson was no longer detained, he continued pressing officers for an explanation. Recording his exchange with police, he learned police were responding to someone possibly breaking into a home.
Simpson asked officers for the description of the person they were looking for.
“Black male,” an officer responds in the video.
“A Black male with what? Black shirt?” Simpson asks.
Simpson said he was wearing a red shirt, which was evident on the security video.
In another portion of the video, an officer tells Simpson they had seen him at an apartment connected to the call.
“We saw you at apartment 202 and the description said someone was already inside, and that’s why we came at you the way we did,” the officer said.
Simpson said the encounter has further damaged his confidence in law enforcement and that he wants accountability for how he was treated.
“The way I got treated after the fact of them knowing was wrong,” Simpson said.
KENS 5 received a statement from SAPD, which outlines their efforts to address the situation.
“We are aware of the incident, which has been referred to the Internal Affairs Unit for review. The Department is investigating the circumstances and will take appropriate action based on the findings,” SAPD said in a statement.
Simpson said his next steps include filing a complaint with the police department and potentially exploring legal action.