Police Apologise After Casting Doubt On Claims Jonathan Joss' Murder Was A Homophobic Hate Crime
Police investigating the murder of US actor Jonathan Joss have apologised after “prematurely” issuing a statement casting doubt on claims that his death was the result of a hate crime.
Earlier this week, it was announced that the King Of The Hill and Parks And Recreation performer had died at the age of 59, after being fatally shot outside his home.
After the news broke, Jonathan’s husband Tristan Kern de Gonzales shared a statement on Facebook saying that the pair had been subjected to homophobic abuse before the shooting.
“My husband Jonathan Joss and I were involved in a shooting while checking the mail at the site of our former home,” he wrote. “That home was burned down after over two years of threats from people in the area who repeatedly told us they would set it on fire. We reported these threats to law enforcement multiple times and nothing was done.
“Throughout that time we were harassed regularly by individuals who made it clear they did not accept our relationship. Much of the harassment was openly homophobic.”
He continued: “When we returned to the site to check our mail we discovered the skull of one of our dogs and its harness placed in clear view. This caused both of us severe emotional distress. We began yelling and crying in response to the pain of what we saw.
“While we were doing this a man approached us. He started yelling violent homophobic slurs at us. He then raised a gun from his lap and fired.”
Tristan concluded: “[Jonathan] was murdered by someone who could not stand the sight of two men loving each other.”
At the time, a spokesperson for the San Antonio Police claimed: “Despite online claims of this being a hate crime, currently the investigation has found no evidence to indicate that the Mr Joss’s murder was related to his sexual orientation. Investigators handle these allegations very seriously and have thoroughly reviewed all available information.
“Should any new evidence come to light, the suspect will be charged accordingly.”
However, on Thursday, police chief William McManus retracted this comment.
“We shouldn’t have done that, it was way too early to make a statement of that nature, we didn’t have information to make that statement,” he said (via Metro). “We understand the LGBTQ+ community is feeling anxious and concerned, a lot of it has to do with that statement. We’re sorry.
“The loss of Jonathan Joss was tragic and felt by the LGBTQ+ community, there’s also a concern around the circumstances surrounding that death and the history leading up to that.”
Jonathan was best known for his work in the animated series King Of The Hill, in which he voiced John Redcorn.
He also made frequent appearances in the comedy Parks And Recreation as Chief Ken Hotate.
A suspect has now been arrested and charged with murder following Jonathan’s death.