HAYS COUNTY, Texas – The Hays County Sheriff’s Office on Thursday released bodycam footage of a fatal 2022 shooting inside a hospital seven days after charges were dropped against a corrections officer who shot a jail inmate.
The incident occurred on Dec. 12, 2022, inside the Ascension Seton Hays in Kyle.
Now-former Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia can be seen waiting for Joshua Wright, a jail inmate, outside of a bathroom.
According to the sheriff’s office, Wright was taken to the hospital for medical treatment.
In the video, Wright can be seen exiting the bathroom and swatting at Garcia, who looks to be attempting to place Wright in handcuffs, the footage shows.
As Wright runs away with shackles around his feet, Garcia can be seen immediately pulling his firearm — despite being armed with a Taser.
It’s unclear what is heard in the footage, as the sheriff’s office said in a press release the recording had portions of audio redacted to “provide for the privacy of other individuals not directly involved in the incident.”
At the 45-second mark, Wright can be seen presumably tripping over a piece of hospital equipment and falling down.
Garcia is seen pointing his gun at Wright. As Wright is standing up and attempting to run away again, Garcia shoots him five times, the footage shows.
The audio begins playing 54 seconds into the footage when Garcia can be heard telling Wright to “get on his stomach” several times.
Wright was in custody for several charges, including the unauthorized use of a vehicle, bail jumping, evading arrest and several others, records show.
In April 2023, Garcia was indicted on a felony deadly conduct charge in connection with Wright’s death.
Wright’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Wright three months later.
The press release said that Wright’s family requested the criminal case against Garcia be dismissed. The dismissal was granted on June 20.
Garcia is no longer employed by the Hays County Sheriff’s Office.
You can read the sheriff’s office press release below:
Hays County Sheriff's Office press release by Mason on Scribd