HAYS COUNTY, Texas — The Hays County Sheriff’s Office released the body-worn camera footage Thursday showing the moment a corrections officer shot and killed 36-year-old inmate Joshua Wright.
It happened on Dec. 12, 2022. Wright was in Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle receiving treatment for a medical issue. Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia was guarding him as he used the restroom
The video, which has no audio for the first 54 seconds, shows Garcia opening the restroom door as Wright washed his hands. Roughly 14 seconds later, he started walking out of the restroom toward the officer
Garcia reached for Wright’s left wrist and tried to handcuff him. Before Garcia could make contact, Wright lifted his right hand and shoved him in the chest.
Garcia stumbled back a few steps and Wright ran down the hallway, past patients and hospital staff. The officer pursued him with his gun raised.
Wright turned left and ran down another hallway. As he reached the end and tried to turn right, he lost his footing, giving Garcia the chance to catch up.
Garcia shot him and Wright fell to the ground, landing on his right side. The officer yelled at him to roll on his stomach, but he did not move. A patient can be seen lying in a hospital bed less than a couple of feet away from where Wright was shot. Garcia asked someone to move the patient away.
Last week, the Hays County District Attorney’s Office said the indictment charging Garcia with deadly conduct was dropped.
In April 2023, a Hays County Grand Jury reviewed the investigation into the shooting. After hearing the evidence, the grand jury declined to return an indictment for murder or manslaughter. However, they did return an indictment charging Garcia with the third-degree felony of deadly conduct.
“While the indictment did not charge Garcia with an offense directly related to the death of Wright, it did accuse him of deadly conduct for the circumstances in which he fired his weapon in a crowded emergency room,” the DA’s office said.
The sheriff’s office said Wright’s family requested the dismissal of the criminal case against Garcia.
“The Hays County Sheriff’s Office strives to balance the importance of protecting criminal cases and providing transparency. We believe it is in the public’s best interest to release this specific body worn camera recording at this time,” the sheriff’s office said. “There will be no further comment, discussion, or voluntary release of any additional information on behalf of our office regarding this matter.”
