Scottsdale Police Station Gunwoman's Case Could Take Years, Attorney Says

Nearly four months after a 24-year-old woman pulled a handgun inside a Scottsdale police station lobby and was shot by a responding sergeant, her criminal case remains far from resolution. Eva Josefina Garcia has pleaded not guilty to aggravated assault and kidnapping charges, and both prosecutors and her defense attorney say a plea offer, if one comes at all, is likely months away.

Garcia was accused of bringing a handgun into the Scottsdale Police Department's McKellips District Station in April, according to ABC15 Arizona. Once inside the lobby, she pointed the weapon at a sergeant and responding officers, and a police sergeant opened the lobby door and told her to drop the gun, which she refused to do. Garcia was also accused of threatening two people inside the station before the sergeant fired his duty pistol, striking her.

Video evidence released in late May filled in a critical detail: Garcia's handgun jammed when she pointed it at officers and pulled the trigger, and she tried to clear the malfunction before the sergeant fired four rounds, according to 12News. During the roughly one-minute standoff, Garcia pointed the gun at an unarmed police aide behind protective glass and cornered a civilian bystander at a vehicle impound window, demanding he get on his knees, per FOX 10 Phoenix. The station, located at 7601 E. McKellips Road near Miller Road, serves as the department's District 1 headquarters near the Tempe border — the same site Hoodline first covered in this earlier shooting report before Garcia was publicly identified.

A Complex Case With Mounting Evidence

Garcia was taken to a hospital in Scottsdale after the shooting and remained under protective custody for 12 days before her release, according to ABC15. She was then booked into jail on several felony charges and appeared in Maricopa County Superior Court, where she pleaded not guilty. The station's report notes she was booked into the Maricopa County Jail on an $850,000 cash-only bond, with court-ordered electronic monitoring required if released, per the earlier account from 12News.

Sierra Taylor, Garcia's attorney, told ABC15 that her defense is waiting on extensive body-camera video involving many officers, along with surveillance footage, before any plea discussions can move forward. She described the discovery as voluminous, and said any plea offer is likely months away. Prosecutors, for their part, are waiting for the defense to make a plea offer and are not currently offering one themselves, the outlet reported.

A judge has designated Garcia's case as complex, reflecting the multiple witnesses involved, the physical and mental health issues at play, and the sheer volume of evidence still working its way through the courts. ABC15 reports the case could take months or years to resolve.

Felony Exposure Under Arizona Law

The charges against Garcia carry significant prison exposure under Arizona law. Attempted second-degree murder is classified as a Class 2 felony under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1001 and § 13-1104, carrying a presumptive sentence of five years up to 12.5 years in prison for a first-time offender, according to the Salwin Law Group. Separately, aggravated assault against a peace officer with a deadly weapon under Arizona Revised Statutes § 13-1204 is also a Class 2 felony, subject to mandatory enhanced penalties of two additional prison years upon conviction.

Prosecutors have said that emotional distress stemming from a personal breakup the previous evening served as a primary catalyst leading up to Garcia bringing the handgun to the police station, according to a report. Garcia had no reported prior violent standoffs at law enforcement facilities.

Independent Review of the Shooting Itself

Separate from the criminal case against Garcia, the officer-involved shooting is being independently investigated by the Mesa Police Department under the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, or EVCIRT, protocol. That regional oversight structure exists because Arizona Revised Statutes § 41-1762 has required, since June 30, 2025, that all law enforcement critical force incidents statewide be criminally investigated by an independent regional task force or state agency, per the City of Tempe. Scottsdale's City Council approved joining EVCIRT via a 2024 resolution.

The Scottsdale sergeant who fired the shots is a 32-year law enforcement veteran and was placed on temporary post-critical incident leave, standard procedure following such incidents, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. No officers or bystanders were injured during the lobby confrontation. As the criminal case against Garcia grinds forward through what both sides describe as a lengthy discovery process, no trial date or plea deal appears imminent.