The San Antonio Police Department has released body-worn camera footage of a May 9 shooting that unfolded outside a North Side restaurant, resulting in 24-year-old Sheldon Butts being charged with assault and taking a weapon from a peace officer. The incident, captured in a video just under two minutes, showcases the tense exchange between Butts and officer Mark Castillo, a 23-year SAPD veteran. This footage was made public yesterday, as reported by KTSA.
Responding to a theft at the Thai Hut Restaurant in the 2600 block of North Loop 1604 West, Castillo was approached by an employee who reported that Butts had taken scissors from the kitchen. The video shows Castillo engaging with Butts, who refused to reveal his name and expressed a desire to commit suicide using the officer's gun. After the tense conversation, the situation escalated as Butts lunged at Castillo prompting the officer to use pepper spray, which proved ineffective. The subsequent scuffle between Butts and Castillo resulted in the officer's body camera being dislodged, leaving viewers with only audio evidence of two gunshots fired, as noted by KSAT.
Butts survived the encounter and was transported to a hospital in critical condition, facing charges post-recovery. Officer Castillo, treated at the scene for minor injuries, has been placed on administrative duty following the incident. The SAPD Shooting Team and Internal Affairs Unit are conducting separate investigations, which the Bexar County District Attorney's Office will review.
In the aftermath, KSAT interviewed Butts' parents, Sheldon A. Butts and Tawana Gadsden, who questioned the level of force used by Castillo. "The officer used "excessive force — excessive deadly force to neutralize a threat that was already neutralized," Butts’ father told KSAT, citing witness accounts. Gadsden raised concerns about Castillo's prior history, revealed in a 2024 KSAT Investigates report, and his close connection to SAPD Chief William McManus, suggesting a potential conflict of interest in the investigation.
