Police in San Antonio, Texas, were quick to dismiss the idea that actor Jonathan Joss' murder was a hate crime, but they're now walking back their initial dismissal. Joss' husband claims the neighbor who allegedly killed Joss had threatened the couple and made homophobic remarks toward them multiple times, and he says the neighbor shouted "violent homophobic slurs" before the alleged murder. The day after that, police said in a statement that "despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that Mr. Joss's murder was related to his sexual orientation." Joss' husband and others were furious, NBC News reports.
"That was way, way, way premature," San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said at a Thursday press conference, People reports. "Shouldn't have done it. It was way too soon before we had any real information, and I will own that and simply say, again, that we shouldn't have done that. It was way too early in the process for any statement of that nature to be issued. "We understand that many in the LGBTQ+ community are feeling anxious and concerned. A lot of it has to do with that premature statement that we released, and again, I own that. Shouldn't have done it." He also clarified that in Texas, "hate crime" is not a separate charge but an enhancement to existing charges that can be applied at sentencing.
Joss' husband also claimed the fire that burned down their San Antonio home was started intentionally, and McManus said the investigation into the fire is still active and that police are looking into whether there is any connection between the fire and the alleged murder. He also confirmed that over the past two years, police have gotten about 70 calls regarding disputes between Joss and his husband and their neighbors, and that the department's mental health unit had "extensive engagements with Mr. Joss, making repeated efforts to remediate conflicts and connect him with services he may have needed."
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