Darrell Zemault Sr.

More than a year and a half after Darrell Zemault Sr. was killed by police during an attempted arrest, city attorneys are withholding body camera footage from being released to the public. But it’s uncertain whether the city is trying to dodge transparency or act upon the wishes of Zemault’s family.

HB 88, or the “George Floyd Act,” doesn’t just tackle first aid. The proposed law would also require police to intervene when they see another officer engage in abusive behavior.

Five months after Darrell Zemault Sr. was killed by San Antonio police officers, SAPD has allowed his family to view some of the body cam footage. But the family members say they have been left with “more questions than answers” after viewing the footage.

Five months after Darrell Zemault Sr. was killed by a San Antonio police officer, his family will be allowed to view the body cam footage from the fatal encounter.

When TPR asked about first aid expectations for “officer-involved shootings,” an SAPD public information officer forwarded a copy-and-pasted section of the department’s policy. It lists “care for the injured” as one of the post-shooting responsibilities of the involved officers. But the policy does not lay out an exact timeline of instructions.

SAPD claimed that Darrell Zemault Sr. grabbed an officer’s gun during an attempted arrest for outstanding warrants. But the department continues to withhold body camera footage of the encounter. The killing kicked off a familiar cycle: a lack of transparency from law enforcement, muddied coverage from local news media and promises of incremental reform from elected officials.