Death by Cop 2021-2025
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Luis Manuel Garcia-Arias
Age : 43
Gender : Male
Race : Latino/a/e
Date : 08/09/2021
Location : 14000 block of Newport Avenue
City : Tustin
County : Orange
State : California
Agency : Tustin Police Department
Officer(s) :Estela Silva
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : unhoused man killed by police during mental health welfare check
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
On 08/09/2021, at approximately 10:16 a.m., Tustin police responded to a mobile home park in the 14000 block of Newport Avenue after receiving reports that a man who had previously been seen wandering the neighborhood with a knife had returned and was hiding in bushes. Officers located 43-year-old Luis Manuel Garcia-Arias holding a long wooden pole. Officer Estela Silva repeatedly ordered Garcia-Arias to stop and drop the pole. Garcia-Arias advanced toward Silva while raising the pole, and Silva fired her service weapon, striking him. Garcia-Arias was transported to a hospital, where he died from his injuries.
Under California Assembly Bill 1506, the California Department of Justice conducted an independent investigation because Garcia-Arias was unarmed. The investigation reviewed body-worn camera footage, witness interviews, forensic evidence, dispatch recordings, and scene reconstruction. On March 19, 2024, Attorney General Rob Bonta released the investigative report identifying Officer Estela Silva as the involved officer and concluded the evidence was insufficient to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Silva acted unlawfully. No criminal charges were filed. The report also issued policy recommendations to the Tustin Police Department, including enhanced de-escalation training and tactical planning, improved compliance with body-worn camera policies, and better post-shooting officer communication procedures.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://abc7.com/tustin-officer-involved-shooting-luis-manuel-garcia-arias-police/11171273/
https://www.ocregister.com/2021/08/09/man-killed-in-officer-involved-shooting-in-tustin/
https://oag.ca.gov/news/press-releases/california-department-justice-releases-report-officer-involved-shooting-luis-manuel-garcia-arias
https://www.ocregister.com/2021/08/09/tustin-police-officer-shoots-person-after-responding-to-call-near-mobile-home-park/
