Hays County deputy cleared from deadly 2022 shooting

HAYS COUNTY, Texas - A grand jury cleared a Hays County Sheriff's Office deputy for a deadly shooting last year.

On Nov. 5, 2022, two deputies from HCSO responded to the 100 block of Victoria Court in the Belterra neighborhood, between Austin and Dripping Springs.

The deputies were investigating a report that an intoxicated driver had crashed a vehicle and threatened a tow truck driver a few blocks away. The body-worn cameras of both deputies recorded the shooting and the events leading up to it. 

The investigation showed that while speaking with the vehicle’s owner, Carol James, in the front yard of the home, the deputies heard a woman screaming inside the residence. 

Deputy Mohmmad Zaqzouq approached the front door in response to the screaming. As he approached the door, James said, "He’s got a knife." 

Upon opening the door, Zaqzouq encountered 28-year-old John Samuel File, who was leaving the home and moved toward the deputy with a large knife in his right hand. 

Zaqzouq repeatedly shouted for File to show his hands while backing away from the door and off the porch. Despite multiple commands, File continued moving toward the deputy with the knife. 

At that point, Zaqzouq fired his weapon striking File three times. File later died at the scene. 

On Feb. 15, a grand jury decided to not indict the deputy for the shooting.