Arizona man was firing shots into the air at apartment before police shooting
Law enforcement officials released portions of bodycam footage of Tucson police officers fatally shooting a man with a gun on Feb. 2.
Pima Regional Critical Incident Team, which includes representatives from 10 law enforcement agencies in Pima County, investigated the incident and announced its findings in an edited video that included audio of the 911 call, security footage and body camera footage.
At about 8:15 p.m. on Feb. 2, the Tucson Police Department responded to multiple 911 calls from an apartment complex about a verbal fight and between a man and a woman which was followed by several gunshots.
The callers told police they heard a "domestic disturbance" between their neighbors, which led to them hearing a firearm being discharged in the air "between 8 to 10 times." One caller reported that they saw the man through their open window, while another reported that they witnessed the woman outside on the phone and offered to call 911 for her.
According to one caller, the woman went to check on her children after the neighbor called the police on her behalf, claiming that the man had come home "drunk and upset." The relationship between the man and the woman has not been identified by officials.
When officers arrived on the scene, they heard several gunshots coming from inside the apartment complex, according to the narrator of the video. Other occupants of the residence had by this point separated themselves from the suspect, the narrator continued.
Officers then began evacuating neighboring apartments while the Tucson Police Department Special Weapons and Tactics Team contained the suspect in a single apartment, according to the narrator. Hostage negotiators were also requested to respond to the area.
Body camera footage shows officers identifying the residents, who proceed forward after hearing more gunshots fired. Shortly after, an armed man, later identified as 23-year-old Fabian Garcia, partially emerged from his residence while holding a rifle in his left hand, footage revealed.
Police quickly identified themselves to Garcia, instructing him to hold his hands up. Garcia can be heard in the footage asking who was there while officers try to talk to him.
Footage shows that Garcia opened the front doorway while bringing his right hand up in the direction of the weapon. At that time, four officers discharged their department-issued firearms, striking Garcia.
Once officers ensured the area was safe, they began rendering aid to Garcia until the Tucson Fire Department arrived, according to the narrator. Despite life-saving efforts, Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. There were no other fatalities or injuries in the incident, according to official reports.
According to the video, shell casings from the same caliber weapon that Garcia was holding were found in both the front yard and backyard of the residence.
Both the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team and the Tucson Police Department continue to investigate the incident as well as the actions of the four officers during the shooting, officials said. All findings will be presented to the Pima County Attorney’s Office for review when the investigation is complete, which is standard practice for officer-involved shootings.
It was still being determined if the four police officers who discharged their firearms, who have been identified as Chad Barker, Devin Estes, Joseph Buck, and Kyle Walker, violated any policies due to their use of force during the incident, officials said.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Tucson police fatally shoot Fabian Garcia at apartment complex
