Community demands body cam footage weeks after fatal shooting of county inmate

Calls are growing louder for body camera footage to be released following the fatal shooting of Hays County inmate Joshua Wright.

On Monday, Wright’s family, the Wright family’s attorney Chevo Pastrano, and Ben Crump — attorney for George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Arbery — demanded justice and accountability on the front steps of the historic Cephas House.

“Ms. Beverly Wright, Joshua’s mother, never would’ve thought that she would be starting off 2023 with this tragedy,” Crump said. “And so that’s why it’s so important that all of us are standing here together, the whole community, saying that we want the truth. We want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help us God.”

“This case is about trust,” he continued. “It’s about transparency leading to truth, accountability, and then we can have trust that no matter who we are — black, brown, white, red — we get equal justice under the law.”

On Dec. 12, Wright, who was receiving medical treatment at Ascension Seton Hays hospital in Kyle, was fatally shot by Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia after allegedly assaulting him and attempting to flee.

Wright was a pretrial detainee at the Hays County Jail who was in the jail for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, bail jumping, failure to appear, reckless driving, criminal mischief and evading arrest and detention.

The sheriff’s office has placed Garcia, who was identified as the corrections officers involved during Monday’s press conference, on administrative leave pending an investigation from the Texas Rangers, according to HCSO Public Information Officer Anthony Hipolito.

Following the incident, Charley Wilkison, executive director of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT), wrote on social media that Wright allegedly grabbed sharp medical instruments and began running toward hospital staff and civilians. But Wilkison later edited the statement to say he moved toward sharp medical instruments rather than grabbed the medical instruments.

In response to Wilkison’s tweet, Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra issued a statement, requesting HCSO release “all relevant body-camera shooting within 10 days of the in-custody death.”

“Cooperation by the Sheriff’s Office, of making available video documentation of the incident by Friday, Dec. 22, would importantly enhance public trust and understanding of the context surrounding this tragic loss of life,” he wrote.

The sheriff’s office has not released any body camera footage, according to Hipolito.

“This does not mean we will not release [it] in the future, but as of now, there is no timeline,” he said.

Although body cam footage has yet to be released, Pastrano shared during Monday’s press conference that a second autopsy found six entrance wounds and four exit wounds in Wright’s body.

“We stand here because there is no excuse, there is no reasonable explanation why a man in shackles should ever be fired upon, even once,” Pastrano said. “There are all kinds of less than lethal ways to stop a man from walking away from, or shuffling away from, or even attempting to run away from in shackles, rather than shooting upon him.”

Above, Beverly Wright, Joshua Wright’s mother demands justice for her son after he was shot as inmate by Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia on Dec. 12 at Ascension Seton Hays. Daily Record photos by Zoe Gottlieb

Chris Clark, Joshua’s brother, voiced his frustration about HCSO’s handling of the situation and the officer’s willingness to use lethal force.

“[Joshua] was the type of guy that would give you the shirt on his back,” Clark said. “I just want to know why. Why did you do this to him? There [are] less lethal ways you could have handled the situation. I’m very angry, and these people need to be held accountable for what they’ve done.”

Beverly, who describes her son as a “happy-go-lucky fella” and a “gentle giant,” said she hasn’t heard from the sheriff’s office since Joshua’s death.

“He struggled with a lot of things, he wasn’t perfect, but he was my child,” Beverly said. “Why did they have to kill my baby boy is what I want to know.”

“If it was his fault, I can accept it,” she added. “But show us the video.”