The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has released the name of the deputy involved in a shooting that occurred during a high-speed chase on June 21. Deputy Angel Ornelas, a member of the sheriff's office since 2023, was identified as the officer who fired his weapon at a suspect in a stolen vehicle incident. According to the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, Ornelas has been placed on administrative leave pending the completion of an ongoing investigation into the matter, as KTSA reports.
The chase began when Deputy Ornelas' license plate reader alerted him to a car reported as stolen. Upon engaging in pursuit, the chase came to a close on a dead-end street. Ornelas claims that he was forced to open fire when the driver, now identified as 34-year-old Joshua Garcia, allegedly drove the vehicle directly toward him. In the attempt to make a fast decision, Ornelas reportedly shot Garcia between three to five times. Garcia was then hospitalized with injuries deemed as non-life-threatening, and a female passenger also received treatment for injuries sustained during the subsequent crash, as stated by the KTSA report.
Meanwhile, video footage captured by a home surveillance system has come to light, recording the moment Deputy Ornelas discharged his weapon at the car, contributing fact to the scenario the department is currently piecing together. This evidence will likely play a key role in the department's review of the incident. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office has confirmed the content of the video and Ornelas's response as being the reason he engaged with lethal force, as KENS 5 reveals. The Bexar County Sheriff's Office is still investigating the June shooting. The outcome remains uncertain, but more updates are expected as the department promises transparency.
