The poll worker declined to comment, while BCSO has opened an internal investigation.
WINDCREST, Texas — A Windcrest woman says she was assaulted while trying to vote Tuesday over what she says was a misunderstanding over a cell phone that quickly turned physical.
Deanna Brown told us it was a poll worker and a Bexar County deputy who assaulted her.
That poll worker declined to comment on the matter, while the BCSO confirmed only that a deputy was involved in an incident today and that an internal investigation has been opened.
“Over the past 15 years, I’ve been voting here,” Brown told KENS 5.
Brown said things took a turn when she got to the ballot booth, when she was told she could not have her phone in there.
Brown wanted to reference information she had written for herself regarding the ballot. She said she didn’t realize exactly what the “turn cellphones off” sign meant.
“I was like, yeah, turn the ringer off, no one wants the ringer, it wasn’t translating to me,” she added.
Brown said the poll worker inside told her she couldn’t have her cellphone when she tried taking a photo of the rules.
“I tried to take a picture of it so I could see it, and she hit my hand,” she said.
Brown said that the poll worker then called a BCSO deputy over.
“Same thing happens, he says, ‘get out,’ and I’m like ‘no, I’m trying to figure out what’s going on with my voting ballot,'” she went on. “He grabs my arm and twists it into me and then hits me in the face and pushes me out the door.”
Police arrived, and from there, Brown felt worse.
“I looked in that man’s eyes and I felt so afraid,” Brown said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before.”
Brown said she never got to turn in her ballot. An elections official told KENS 5 Brown will have to submit a new ballot, and her old one from Tuesday will be thrown out.
This investigation is ongoing.
We put a request for the report with the Windcrest Police Department and have requested body camera footage from BCSO.