EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – The El Paso Police Department has released body camera footage of an officer-involved shooting that left a man dead in a SWAT standoff incident back in April.
Suspect dies after officer-involved shooting during SWAT standoff in West El Paso
The video footage was posted on Friday afternoon, Nov. 1 on EPPD’s YouTube channel.
Family of man killed in SWAT incident says he was suffering from mental health crisis
Martin Herrera-Garcés, 27, was shot and killed on Thursday evening, April 11 in an officer-involved shooting after a shots-fired call triggered a SWAT situation at the 300 block of Skyview St. in West El Paso.
Here is a link to the body camera footage that was released by the Police Department. Police warn that the video may contain content that is unsuitable for all audiences. Viewer discretion is advised.
In the video, at about 6:38 p.m., we can see an officer responding to a shots fired call where the caller informed that “there were shooting in front of the office a bunch of times” at 300 Skyview St.
The caller said “it was a handgun and that he (suspect) threw all the shots.”
Upon arriving at the scene, we can see a patrol unit being struck by gunfire multiple times from an upstairs apartment balcony.
The officer proceeds to exit the vehicle to cover himself from the gunfire further down the street. In the video, we can hear how the vehicle keeps getting fired at after the officer exited the vehicle to cover down the street.
After that, the SWAT call was initiated and Garcés continued to fire at officers from the apartment balcony. He barricaded himself in the apartment during the standoff.
For over two hours, SWAT along with the Crisis Management Team continued negotiating efforts to take Garcés into custody, as seen in the video.
We can hear multiple shots being fired at officers who were taking cover in one of their units.
According to the video, Garcés exited the apartment with a firearm before he was subsequently shot. In the video, an officer can be heard saying “he’s down.” The clock marks 10:47 p.m.
Officers and fire medical services can be seen approaching Garcés and handcuffing him. He was then taken to a local hospital where he died from his injuries.
The investigation is being conducted by the El Paso Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit and The Texas Rangers, according to EPPD. The El Paso Police Department Internal Affairs Shooting Review Team is conducting the administrative investigation.
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