Death by Cop 2022-2024
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Ruben Garcia
Gender : Male
Age : 34
Race : Latino/a/e
Date : 10/22/2023
Location : Winston Square Apartments
City : San Antonio
County : Bexar
State : Texas
Agency : San Antonio Police Department (SAPD)
Officer(s) :John Carroll
Cause of Death : Gunshot
Event : Killed by police on patrol
OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :
San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) announced that an unnamed officer was on patrol at the Winston Square Apartments when he came across a man with a gun in his waistband. The officer initiated a foot chase, attacked Garcia with a taser and a struggle ensued. The officer shot and killed Ruben Garcia. Police immediately extensively smeared Garcia and claimed he had a lengthy criminal history. Family and numerous friends state that he was nonviolent and quite popular and that his past offenses were of a nonviolent nature. Video of his friends and neighbors speaking strongly to that effect and contradicting the depiction by police of his character is linked in video below.
“He didn’t pull out a gun at all. He was lying on the floor with his hands like that,” said a neighbor holding his hands behind his back at the time. He also stated that bystanders were afraid of being shot also due to the behavior of police on the scene.
It is noteworthy that police spent more effort besmirching his character than explaining many outstanding parts of their own narrative why they killed him. This is the third shooting in less than one week by San Antonio PD.
***UPDATE 11/23/2023*** San Antonio PD released the bodycam which is linked below and marked "bodycam." In it, the officer is seen driving up, jumping out of his car and taking off with a taser after Garcia. It is difficult to believe he had seen a "gun in his waistband" because he started the hunt on foot after Garcia the moment he spotted him from a distance. Garcia was under attack for just being on the sidewalk if police cannot add any more reasons why the officer saw him and began an aggfressive taser chase. Police continued repeating that he had an "extensive" criminal record and this likely was the reason the officer became aggressive without obvious reason the moment he spotted him, should police not offer any other explanation for this patrol officer's decision.
In the video, Garcia is caught, tased, knocked to the ground, pleading with the officer and recorded as begging:“I’m bleeding from my head, boss. Come on, man. Boss, please, no man. Please...” Garcia pleaded for his life. He had already been injured by the officer and his reactions suggest he thought the officer wanted to kill him. The officer did step back, point his gun and unloaded it into him, aiming to kill. Police claimed he had a gun, highlighting his hand on bodycam. It is not clearly visible what he may be holding as he is being shot but he is seen injured on the ground pointing away from the officer who opened fire and killed him.
SOURCE LINKS :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GvMgUf_G-RQ
Bodycam video enclosed here:
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/11/22/please-no-man-pleads-with-sapd-officer-during-struggle-over-gun-before-being-shot-killed/
https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2023/11/22/please-no-man-pleads-with-sapd-officer-during-struggle-over-gun-before-being-shot-killed/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA9TmdUUqkk
