The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has released bodycam footage from a deputy-involved shooting that happened last month. The incident followed a high-speed chase with a suspect in a stolen car, which ended in a neighborhood in Southeast Bexar County. The use of force during the arrest is now under review, according to KSAT.
The pursuit took place on the evening of June 21, when Deputy Angel Ornelas of the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office attempted to stop a BMW convertible, identified by an automated license plate reader as stolen. As reported by KSAT, the suspect, 34-year-old Joshua Ryan Garcia, failed to yield, driving through multiple stop signs and nearly causing a crash. After ending up at a dead-end on Dove Drive, Garcia attempted a U-turn, seemingly directing the vehicle towards the deputy, which led to Ornelas discharging his firearm multiple times, striking Garcia and the vehicle.
The released footage has ignited debate over the deputy's swift shift from attempting to arrest a fleeing suspect to the use of potentially lethal force within moments. Both Garcia and a female passenger incurred minor injuries due to the incident. Following the shooting, Garcia was admitted to a local hospital, treated, and released before being booked at the Bexar County Jail on several felony charges, as detailed by News 4 San Antonio.
Deputy Ornelas, who had been with the Sheriff's Office since December 2023 and began active patrol duties in January 2024, has been placed on administrative leave— a common procedure in officer-involved shootings, as per KSAT. As the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting continues, the full implications for the deputy and the suspect remain to be seen.
