Community demands body cam footage after fatal shooting of county inmate

Calls have grown louder for body camera footage to be released following the fatal shooting of Hays County inmate Joshua Wright. But the Hays County Sheriffs Office said it will not release the footage — or any additional information related to the investigation — until the investigation is over, according to a statement on Jan. 6.

On Dec. 12, Wright, who was receiving medical treatment at Ascension Seton Hays hospital in Kyle, was fatally shot by Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia after allegedly assaulting him and attempting to flee. Wright was a pretrial detainee at the Hays County Jail who was in the jail for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, bail jumping, failure to appear, reckless driving, criminal mischief and evading arrest and detention.

Following the incident, Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas, wrote on social media that Wright allegedly grabbed sharp medical instruments and began running toward hospital staff and civilians. But Wilkison later edited the statement to say he moved toward sharp medical instruments rather than grabbed the medical instruments.

In response to Wilkison’s tweet, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra issued a statement, requesting HCSO release “all relevant body-camera shooting within 10 days of the in-custody death.”

“Cooperation by the Sheriffs Office, of making available video documentation of the incident by Friday, Dec. 22, would importantly enhance public trust and understanding of the context surrounding this tragic loss of life,” he wrote.

The HCSO’s response on Jan. 6 stated that the Texas Rangers requested that body cam footage and related information not be released until the investigation is over.

“The immediate release of the body cam video and other information may adversely affect the Rangers’ ability to conduct an investigation by, among other things, impacting the recollections and statements of witnesses,” Hays County’s statement said.

Hays County said members of the commissioners court have been monitoring the incident and “understand the importance of maintaining the integrity of the investigation, but they also recognize the grief felt by Mr. Wright’s family and the need for closure in the community.”

“With that in mind, court members will be requesting that the State dedicate as many resources to the investigation as possible, to help bring the Rangers’ investigation to an efficient conclusion, after which the Hays County Criminal District Attorney’s Office will determine the timing for public disclosure of the body cam video or any other materials associated with the investigation,” the county said.

The county added that, when the footage is released, it will be reviewed and potentially redacted after Ascension Seton Hays raised concerns regarding the inadvertent disclosure of privileged third-party medical information.

The Hays County Sheriff’s Office initially placed Garcia, who was identified as the corrections officers involved, on administrative leave pending an investigation from the Texas Rangers. He has since returned to work, pending the outcome of the investigation, the county said, adding that he won’t be assigned to a position involving direct supervision of jail inmates until investigation is complete.

Hays County Jail Advocates, an organization which aims to create “community for people who have been harmed by the Hays County Jail,” questioned the county for allowing Garcia to continue to work.

“It speaks to the pathetically low standards for accountability in Hays County that our local government is seemingly fine with the fact that Isaiah Garcia — the man who needlessly shot and killed Joshua Wright in a crowded hospital less than a month ago — has been allowed to return to work,” HCJA said after Hays County issued its statement on Friday, adding, “How is it the policy of Hays County to allow any employee responsible for the death of another to return to work so quickly, regardless of fault? Surely any decent person would need time to process the weight of such a tragedy.”

On Monday, Jan. 2, Wright’s family, the Wright family’s attorney Chevo Pastrano, and Ben Crump — attorney for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery — held a press conference to demand justice and accountability on the front steps of the historic Cephas House.

“Ms. Beverly Wright, Joshua’s mother, never would’ve thought that she would be starting off 2023 with this tragedy,” Crump said. “And so that’s why it’s so important that all of us are standing here together, the whole community, saying that we want the truth. We want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God.”

“This case is about trust,” he continued. “It’s about transparency leading to truth, accountability, and then we can have trust that no matter who we are — black, brown, white, red — we get equal justice under the law.”

Pastrano said during the press conference that a second autopsy found six entrance wounds and four exit wounds in Wright’s body.

“We stand here because there is no excuse, there is no reasonable explanation why a man in shackles should ever be fired upon, even once,” Pastrano said. “There are all kinds of less than lethal ways to stop a man from walking away from, or shuffling away from, or even attempting to run away from in shackles, rather than shooting upon him.”

Chris Clark, Joshua’s brother, voiced his frustration about HCSO’s handling of the situation and the officer’s willingness to use lethal force.

“[Joshua] was the type of guy that would give you the shirt on his back,” Clark said. “I just want to know why. Why did you do this to him? There [are] less lethal ways you could have handled the situation. I’m very angry, and these people need to be held accountable for what they’ve done.”

Beverly described her son as a “happy-go-lucky fella” and a “gentle giant.”

“He struggled with a lot of things, he wasn’t perfect, but he was my child,” Beverly said. “‘Why did they have to kill my baby boy?’ is what I want to know. If it was his fault, I can accept it, but show us the video.”