Former deputy who works as a Howl-O-Scream “scary figure” and is charged with assault

A former Bexar County sheriff’s deputy with a checkered past is facing charges for allegedly attacking a 14-year-old at a popular Halloween event.

The News 4 I-Team obtained video of the incident that occurred at SeaWorld’s Howl-O-Scream in 2022. The former deputy worked in costumes as a “scary figure”.

The 31-year-old former deputy came to SeaWorld after being fired from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office over allegations of excessive force and turning off body-worn cameras.

A video captured by a bystander at Howl-O-Scream shows former deputy Brandon Doege, wearing a pig mask, confronting a 14-year-old park visitor and then throwing him to the ground.

The boy’s mother says after the video was cut off, the boy’s grandfather came to his aid and was punched in the face by Doege.

“My son, you see that he is trying to escape from this man, and this man is just following him. Then this man just grabbed him and threw him to the ground like he was nothing,” she said.

The family says they don’t know what led to the incident.

Doege was arrested and court records show he is still awaiting trial on a charge of injury to a child.

This is not the first time Doege has been involved in a violent incident. In 2018, Doege stopped off-duty to help a woman on Highway 90, but he ended up shooting her four times when she allegedly threatened him.

“She made a motion as if he felt she was reaching for a weapon, and then he discharged his firearm,” Medina County Sheriff Randy Brown said in a 2018 interview.

The unarmed woman survived and Doege was suspended for 30 days after the shooting.

Then in 2020, Doege was fired from the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office for allegedly assaulting an inmate at the jail after turning off his body-worn camera and another officer’s body camera.

Court records show he was charged with tampering with evidence.

“There are significant red flags in this man’s past, and this all occurred before he was hired by SeaWorld,” said the family’s attorney, Joe Dunn.

SeaWorld is also named in the lawsuit and told News 4, “We do not comment on pending litigation.”

The I-Team contacted Doege’s attorney in Austin, who said they also could not comment.

The family argues that SeaWorld should conduct more thorough background checks on Howl-O-Scream employees.

“Other people who go there just have to be safe because you don’t know who they’re hiring, you don’t know who’s behind the mask,” the teen’s mother said.

Court records show Doege’s trial is scheduled for next month.