(Seguin) – The family of 77-year-old Kenneth Grimm, a Navy veteran who suffered from Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s and dementia, and who was shot and killed by a Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Deputy last year, is calling for change on how officers respond to mental health situations.
The family standing outside the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office on Saturday with Grimm Family Attorney and Civil Rights Attorney Randall Kallinen, spoke to media outlets on why they thought this fatal shooting should have never happened and why a change in tactics should be made at the local law enforcement agency.
Using a video released by the family, the details of the alleged mishandling of that incident on Aug. 27, 2024, were outlined by the family.
In that body cam footage, Grimm’s daughter-in-law Lorie Shupp was seen outside the home in the gated Las Brisas Subdivision explaining to the deputy about Grimm’s mental condition. The deputy was first to respond after the family had called 9-1-1 to report that Grimm had reportedly cut himself.
In that video, the deputy is seen asking if Grimm was armed. When Shupp replies he has “a frying pan,” the deputy confronts Grimm. After another person is able to convince him to throw down the pan, the video immediately shows Grimm reaching from his back and pulling out a knife.
Seen armed and walking slowly towards the deputy, the officer grabbed his gun. He then asked Grimm to drop the knife and was seen backing up. That’s when the family says the deputy, just eight seconds later, shot Grimm twice.
Shupp says her father-in law should not have been killed that day. She says her family simply wanted help with a gash on his arm. She says the deputy did not do much in trying to de-escalate things.
“I kept telling him, I’ve got this please just back up. Let me handle my dad, and once again, the deputy did not acknowledge that I was standing there,” said Shupp.
Also weighing in on the situation was Kallinen. Kallinen says if properly handled and prepared by the sheriff’s office, this deputy would have arrived on the scene with better training and increased options for handling the situation.
“Why didn’t the officer have a taser? He could have used a taser. Why did he shoot to kill, he could have shot him in the leg,” said Kallinen.
The deputy has since been identified as Gary Courtney. According to the family, a grand jury declined to indict Courtney on criminal charges.
Having to still face the fallout of this tragedy is Grimm’s first wife, Rebecca Geinzer. Geinzer says she hopes the sheriff’s office takes the first obvious step and equips deputies with tasers. The family also asks that they implement a mental health crisis team.
“Get tasers,” said Geinzer. “Train you officers, so that they look at the situation, and figure out how to deal with it before shooting. Look at how much pain, and agony, and grief one simple minute, eight seconds caused.”
Grimm’s son Byron says there’s a series of things that could have been provided. He says his father and the deputy could have both walked away safe that day.
“You read about this; you see it on the news happening to other people. It happened to us, and it can happen to somebody else, and that’s why we’re here,” said Byron Grimm.
Following the press conference, the current Guadalupe County Sheriff Joshua Ray provided a written response to the family’s request for change.
His statement reads, “I have reviewed the video footage and spoken with a member of Mr. Grimm’s immediate family in some detail regarding the incident that took place in August of 2024 before my term in Office. I am sincerely sorry for the loss of his life and the grief it has caused his family. In the law enforcement profession, we are often placed in critical situations and required to make split-second decisions that may result in either the preservation or loss of life. Sometimes police officers are faced with a decision that has no good solution. Either choice can result in a tragic outcome.
When I took office, I ordered my leadership team to conduct a full audit and review of Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office policies and procedures in order to align our policies with best acceptable practices in the law enforcement profession. This is currently in progress. Additionally, we have already met with multiple vendors and intend to request funding from the Guadalupe County Commissioners’ Court to purchase tasers and other non-lethal tools that our personnel are not currently equipped with. Although, I’m not sure a less lethal option would have resulted in a different outcome in this specific incident.
Again, we are deeply sorry for the loss of Mr. Grimm and the grief his family has experienced.”
Following the officer-related shooting on Nogal Street, the investigation was turned over to the Texas Rangers.