SCOTTSDALE, AZ — Scottsdale police have released surveillance and body-camera footage of a shooting involving officers that occurred inside the lobby of the McKellips District station on April 30.
The footage shows 23-year-old Eva Josefina Garcia entering the station lobby carrying a backpack and setting it on a chair near the information window.
Around 9:45 a.m., Garcia opened the backpack, retrieved a handgun, and walked toward the information window, where she pointed the gun at a police aide seated behind protective glass. The police aide retreated to a safe area and used her radio to call for assistance.
Content warning: The video footage may include strong language and graphic images that could be disturbing to some viewers. Watch the Critical Incident Briefing below:
Garcia then walked to the vehicle impound window and pointed the gun at a man seated there. He was cornered and unable to escape.
Officers who were inside the station, attending to administrative matters, immediately responded. A sergeant was the first to reach a small hallway between a set of doors separating the lobby from the rest of the building, where he issued loud, clear commands for Garcia to drop the gun. Other officers joined him
, and they moved into the lobby out of concern for the man still inside.
After the sergeant opened the door to the lobby and again commanded Garcia to drop the gun, she refused and pointed the weapon at the sergeant and responding officers. The sergeant fired his duty pistol, striking Garcia.
Garcia fell to the ground and dropped the gun. Officers immediately moved to secure her, secure the gun, rescue the man, and render aid to Garcia.
The sergeant involved has been with the department for 32 years and is assigned to patrol. He was the only officer who fired a weapon during the incident.
Garcia was transported to a hospital, where she remained under protective custody for 12 days before being released and booked into jail on several felony charges.
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