PLEASE NOTE: Nothing in this publishing or on this website should be taken as legal advice.
Joshua Wright Footage to Be Released by Hays County District Attorney’s Office
Joshua Wright was in pre-trial custody of the Hays County Sheriff’s Office on December 12, 2022. During this time, his life came to a tragic end. The public has not been provided the footage to see what happened to Mr. Wright.
The Texas Rangers lead the investigation into the shooting death of Mr. Wright. This lead to an indictment of the Hays County Corrections Officer Isaiah Garcia, 27. He was indicted for one count of Deadly Conduct. During the investigation, the footage was not made available to the public. When we requested the footage from the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) they provided us a request for letter ruling to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
The Hays County District Attorney Kelly Higgins was quoted as saying the following:
After hearing the evidence, the grand jury determined that the offense of Deadly Conduct was the most appropriate charge.
The Hays County court system issued a $25,000 bond. This was transformed into a personal recognizance for Mr. Garcia through the Magistrate process in Comal County.
Hays County District Attorney Requested to Release Footage
On April 7, 2023, we submitted an open records request to the Hays County District Attorney’s Office. On April 18, 2023, the office provided us a cost estimate to release all the relevant footage. The cost estimate included 42 body cameras which is said to contain witness statements and various other items considered by the Grand Jury.
We worked on the part of the release we were seeking and the Hays County District Attorney’s Office finalized the cost estimate for us on April 21, 2023. We anticipate receiving the footage in the near future.
What Does the Indictment Indicate
The indictment leads one to believe the shooting did not lead to any of the following charges:
- Murder, First Degree Felony
- Manslaughter, Second Degree Felony
- Criminal Negligent Homicide, State Jail Felony
All of the above are indication of culpable wrongs to take ones life. In this case, Mr. Garcia is accused of Deadly Conduct which is defined as follows:
Sec. 22.05. DEADLY CONDUCT. (b) A person commits an offense if he knowingly discharges a firearm at or in the direction of: (1) one or more individuals; or (2) a habitation, building, or vehicle and is reckless as to whether the habitation, building, or vehicle is occupied.
An offense under Subsection (b) is a felony of the third degree.
Texas Penal Code 22.05
It is unclear if other charges will be brought; however, the Grand Jury already reviewed the 42 body cameras and associated evidence and came to the conclusion the weapon discipline of Mr. Garcia was the appropriate charge.
Mr. Wright was shackled at the time of the shooting. There have been various claims of what transpired. The evidence was reviewed by a Grand Jury and now it is the appropriate time to release the body camera footage. This is something we anticipate in the next week.
We are not sure if we are the first to request the body camera footage, but if we are then we should be the first to receive it.
A Couple of Our Other Reads
You may like to know that the Hays County Judge provides lease space to a local advocate news outlet.
Or you may find our story on the Texas Attorney General’s Office 2022 annual shooting report, of interest.
A Couple of Our Other Reads
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