A man from Marion County, Ohio, identified as 33-year-old John Andrew Garcia, was hospitalized on Monday after an altercation with deputies that ended in gunfire, officials said. According to a statement from the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office, Garcia, who had an active warrant for failing to register as a sex offender, was located by deputies after a tip was received about his whereabouts. 10TV reported that upon spotting Garcia's vehicle near Haydenville around 12:20 p.m., deputies attempted to initiate a traffic stop, however, Garcia fled, leading to a pursuit on Purdum Road.
The chase led to Garcia's vehicle going off the road and coming to a stop in a creek, after which Garcia reportedly attempted to flee on foot. It was during this foot chase that the sheriff's office says Garcia pulled out a gun and "fired at the two deputies at close range." In response, the deputies shot Garcia. Despite the violent exchange, no deputies were injured during the incident. The events resulting in shots being fired and a subsequent suspect being taken down were confirmed by ABC 6, which gleaned information from Sheriff Lanny E. North's press release.
Garcia is now facing serious legal charges, including two counts of attempted aggravated murder of a law enforcement officer and one count of having weapons while under disability. Following the shooting, Garcia was given first aid by the deputies before being taken to Grant Medical Center for his injuries, the severity of which has not been disclosed. The details surrounding his condition remain unclear, as per our media partner WHIO.
The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation has been called upon to take over the inquiry of the shooting, a step often taken in officer-involved shootings to ensure an unbiased review of the events. This protocol was validated in statements obtained by the multiple local news sources reporting on this case.
