SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS: Startling revelations have emerged regarding the dismissal of a sergeant and a deputy from the Comal County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) earlier this year, following their involvement in a sexual relationship that they lied about to internal affairs initially. The personnel records obtained by KSAT shed light on the circumstances that led to the termination of Sgt Kellie Metz and the subsequent departure of Deputy Patrick Byrne, both of whom failed to disclose their inappropriate liaison to the CCSO administration.
Who is Kellie Metz?
Sgt Kellie Metz, a dedicated officer with nearly six years of service at CCSO, was officially terminated on January 19 due to a series of rule violations, including breaches of professional conduct, employee fraternization, and misuse of body-worn cameras.
Deputy Patrick Byrne, who had been with the agency for two years, left on the same day. The Somerset Police Department, Byrne's subsequent employer, revealed that he was fired from CCSO for being dishonest when initially questioned by internal affairs investigators regarding the nature of the relationship.
The personnel records were released by CCSO officials earlier this summer following an order from the Texas Attorney General's Office. The investigation into Metz and Byrne's relationship was initiated by CCSO in early December after rumors of their encounters while on duty began to circulate.
'Moaning sounds like sexual gratification'
In May 2022, a suspect identified as David Brakhage informed deputies that he had observed Byrne's patrol vehicle parked near Metz's patrol vehicle in the parking lot of the Antler Cafe, a popular chicken fried steak joint north of San Antonio. Brakhage claimed that "he heard moaning sounds like sexual gratification coming from the area of the patrol units." The incident resulted in Brakhage being charged with criminal mischief after he threw a rock at the windshield of Byrne's vehicle. However, neither Byrne nor Metz reported the damage to CCSO, and it was discovered that they had both failed to activate their body-worn cameras during the incident. Subsequently, Brakhage was exonerated of any criminal wrongdoing related to the windshield incident when a non-prosecution affidavit was filed in his case on January 12.
'It doesn’t look good'
During separate interrogations conducted by investigators, both Byrne and Metz initially denied engaging in sexual activity while on duty. Metz claimed that she was merely instructing Byrne on proper felony traffic stops. However, an internal affairs investigator highlighted the gravity of the situation to Metz, stating that the allegations had escalated from a minor incident to a major scandal. “You see how things just aren’t looking good, when he goes to a small allegation now a big old can of worms are opened up? It doesn’t look good,” they reportedly said.
In early January, Metz acknowledged during a recorded interview that she and Byrne had been intimate at her residence twice between October and November 2020. Surprisingly, despite being a supervisor within the agency, Metz admitted to not reporting the relationship to the CCSO administration, contending that “the two meetings were isolated meetings and there was no intention to pursue anything further."
Byrne, during his interrogation, initially denied any intimate involvement with Metz but eventually altered his statement and admitted to the relationship, according to the records. It is noteworthy that the sexual encounters occurred while Metz held a supervisory position and shortly after Byrne joined the agency, as corroborated by his LinkedIn page and state law enforcement records. Several fellow deputies, when interviewed by internal affairs, revealed that they became aware of the relationship after Byrne boastfully discussed Metz's sexual prowess during a barbecue. Two deputies even repeated a vulgar phrase used by Byrne to describe Metz's abilities in performing a specific sex act, as detailed in the records.
Byrne later disclosed to investigators that he met with Metz in late December and informed her about the ongoing internal affairs investigation. He claimed that Metz asked him to be untruthful in his responses. “I’m not going to lie. I want to keep my job,” Byrne said in an audio statement recorded after their meeting as he expressed his desire to cooperate with the investigators.
'A sad state of affairs'
Metz was confronted by an investigator on January 4, who expressed disappointment and described the situation as a "sad state of affairs" after Byrne had directly implicated her in their discussions. “He’s gone on tape and he’s pointing the finger straight at you. This is just a sad state of affairs,” the investigator told Metz. She eventually admitted to having spoken to Byrne regarding the internal affairs investigation, asserting that she felt targeted and had attempted to shield Byrne from potential repercussions. Following his departure from CCSO in January, Byrne secured employment as a reserve officer with the Somerset Police Department in early March, according to law enforcement records.
