Family of Kenneth Grimm urges county to expand less‑lethal tools and crisis response after deputy shooting

Bridal Callanier Callanin, speaking for the family of Kenneth Grimm, told the Guadalupe County Commissioners Court that Grimm — a 77‑year‑old U.S. Navy veteran who suffered from dementia and other health issues — was shot and killed by a Guadalupe County sheriff’s deputy on Aug. 27, 2024. Callanin said Grimm was slow moving, unarmed except for a small knife, and that the officer who responded did not have less‑than‑lethal options at hand.

"We thought that this would have been a great opportunity for the taser," Callanin said, noting the county purchased 25 Axon tasers in a May 13 budget action. "With the advent of the taser, we believe that, in the future, there will be somebody out there who will not be shot with a firearm and pass away, but will be shot with a taser and fall down and be disarmed."

Laurie Grimm, Kenneth Grimm’s wife, described the Aug. 27 incident to the court and emphasized Grimm’s frailties: Alzheimer’s, dementia,…