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Family of man fatally shot by former Hays County deputy files wrongful death lawsuit

Joshua Leon Wright was shot after attempting to escape police custody at a Kyle hospital in December 2022

Joshua Leon Wright was shot and killed after he attempted to escape custody from a Hays County correctional officer while receiving treatment at a hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. Photo Courtesy: Hays County Sheriff's Office (Copyright 2022 by KSAT - All rights reserved.)

SAN MARCOS, Texas – The family of a man who was shot and killed by a former Hays County Sheriff’s Office corrections officer has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against him.

The lawsuit names Beverly Wright, the mother of Joshua Wright, as one of the plaintiffs in the federal lawsuit. The lawsuit claims that the defendant, Isaiah Garcia, inflicted “excessive, unnecessary and ultimately lethal force” on Wright at a Kyle hospital on Dec. 12, 2022. The lawsuit requests that a jury hear the case and reward the plaintiffs for punitive and exemplary damages at the highest rate allowed by law.

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Isaiah Garcia mugshot (Comal County Jail)

Wright was receiving medical treatment at the hospital when he attempted to escape, according to the sheriff’s office. That’s when Garcia, who was guarding Wright, shot and killed him. The lawsuit alleges that Garcia shot Wright, who was wearing leg shackles, five times -- even though the jailer was armed with a Taser.

“The deadly force used by Defendant Garcia was wholly excessive to any conceivable need, objectively unreasonable in light of clearly established law, and directly and proximately caused Wright’s death. Therefore, Defendant Garcia’s actions violated Wright’s clearly established Fourteenth Amendment right to be free from excessive force,” the lawsuit said.

A Hays County grand jury in May indicted Garcia in April on felony deadly conduct charges in connection with the incident. Garcia is no longer employed by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.

Beverly Wright released a statement regarding the lawsuit that read in part, “As a Black mother, I prayed my family would never be in the position we find ourselves today. The killing of Black men like my son by law enforcement remains all too common— it is past time for these officers to be held accountable. While nothing can ever bring my son back, today we filed a lawsuit in federal court against Isaiah Garcia, the officer who killed my son. Our family and my son deserve the justice he was denied last December by Mr. Garcia.”

Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include Joshua Wright’s 13-year-old daughter and her mother, Isabel Olivo Salinas.

KSAT 12 reached out to the Hays County Sheriff’s Office for comment, but a spokesman referred us to the Hays County Attorney’s Office. We will update this story when we receive comment from them.

You can read the lawsuit below:

You can read Beverly Wright’s statement below:

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About the Author
David Ibañez headshot

David Ibañez has been managing editor of KSAT.com since the website's launch in October 2000.

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