HAYS COUNTY, Texas — Bodycam footage released Thursday shows what led up to a former Hays County corrections officer shooting and killing an inmate in 2022.
According to the Hays County District Attorney's Office, the felony deadly conduct case against Isaiah Garcia was recently dismissed at the request of Joshua Wright's family. Garcia shot and killed Wright on Dec. 12, 2022, inside the Seton Hays Hospital in Kyle.
Wright was in Hays County Jail and taken to the hospital after complaining about a medical issue. Garcia was assigned to guard Wright at the hospital. According to the DA's office, Gacia was preparing to take Wright back to jail when Wright shoved him and tried to run away. That's when Garcia shot Wright to death.
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Bodycam footage of the incident was never released before Thursday - something Wright's family had been vocal about since his death. The DA's office said Wright's family requested the dismissal even after reviewing the footage.
The video, which is missing most of its audio, shows Wright leaving the bathroom as Garcia displays handcuffs. Wright appears to shove Garcia and run off down a hospital hallway. Both are seen running by hospital staff and patients before Wright falls to the ground. As he gets back up, Garcia appears to fire his gun before Wright falls to the ground.
When the audio returns, Garcia orders Wright to get on his stomach before the video ends.
Hays County officials said the audio has not been redacted and that the reason for the missing audio is because of hardware and software issues that resulted in the first 60 seconds being missing.
Pastor Darius Todd of Abundant Life Christian Church is a close family friend of the Wrights but has not watched the body camera footage out of sadness.
"I haven't watched the body cam on purpose because honestly I don't want to," Todd said. "But at some point, I'll need to just settle my own conscience."
When asked about the death of Wright, Todd said he still feels remorse.
"My initial reaction was angry," Todd said. "I felt the loss and I felt the sadness. But the anger of that whole situation was what really overwhelmed me because I just could not fathom how this could occur."
Jerry Staton is a retired police officer who does expert witness work and admits he has limited knowledge of the case. Staton says he can only give a preliminary opinion on Garcia's use of deadly force.
"Not saying that Mr. Wright was in fact you know a violent felon but he certainly used violence to try to escape," Staton said. "Does all of that justify the use of deadly force when it was used? Probably not."
Todd wants to stress the importance of accountability and transparency from law enforcement, reflecting on life without his friend.
"I just wish more people like him could get the support they needed so that they could really be taken care of better," Todd said.
Background on this case
In April 2023, a Hays County grand jury reviewed this case, considering the possible charges of murder and manslaughter in connection with Wright's death. The jury declined to return an indictment on either of those charges but did return an indictment charging Garcia with deadly conduct.
According to the DA's office, the indictment alleged that Garcia fired his gun at or in the direction of one or more people by shooting at Wright in a hospital when patients and staff were present. The indictment didn't charge Garcia with an offense directly related to Wright, but it did accuse him of deadly conduct for the circumstances during which he fired his gun.
The DA's office stated that in all criminal cases, it represents the State of Texas and "must make decisions about the resolution of cases with justice and the interests of the community in mind." Hays County DA Kelly Higgins said the wishes of a victim or a victim's family are always considered, but other factors must also be considered, including public safety and "fundamental fairness."
With those additional factors in mind, the State moved to dismiss the case against Garcia. The DA's office said before the dismissal, Garcia agreed to a permanent surrender of his corrections officer license and agreed not to seek any license or certification in the future to work as a peace officer, corrections officer or armed security guard.
Higgins said the case was dismissed "at the request of the Wright family" after they consulted with their legal representatives. Higgins said after viewing body camera footage of the shooting, Wright's family "persisted in requesting the dismissal."
"The reasons offered by the family for their request were carefully considered and, ultimately, found to be persuasive,” Higgins said. "We have chosen to respect the family’s privacy and will offer no additional discussion of those reasons. We encourage others to also respect their privacy."
Last July, the Wright family sued Garcia. The status of that lawsuit is unclear at this time.