Family of man killed by police seeks more video

PHOENIX – The family of a man shot and killed by Phoenix police while sitting in a parked car accused the department Tuesday of selectively releasing body camera videos.

A day after police released footage showing the moments before the July 4 shooting of 28-year-old James “Jay” Garcia, his mother said she wanted to see every video from every officer’s camera.

“We know there were more than just two officers there,” Denice Garcia said. “Yet, only two video cams were released. That in itself speaks volumes.”

The released video appears to show a police officer yelling multiple times that he’ll shoot if Garcia lifts a gun he’s holding.

“I’ve looked at that video, dissected it slowly,” Denice Garcia said. “Nowhere did I see a gun. What I did see my son doing was talking with his hands, holding a cigarette and then trying to defend himself.”

It’s the second video released by law enforcement. The first only showed the aftermath of the shooting.

The incident began when police responded to a home in the Maryvale neighborhood about a suspect in an attempted stabbing case.

Officers spoke with Garcia, who was parked in a driveway, and commanded him to get out of the car.

Police alleged that Garcia rolled up the window, brandished a handgun and told an officer to shoot him.

When Garcia refused to lower the weapon, an officer broke a window as a distraction and two other officers opened fire, authorities said.

Garcia was pronounced dead at a hospital.

The family and other supporters have accused police of trying to make it look like Garcia, a father of three children, was behaving recklessly with a gun. They say it’s the latest in a string of deadly police brutality cases involving Phoenix police and people of color.

All videos showing the officers who were directly involved in the shooting have been released, according to police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune.

“Additionally our police vehicles are not equipped with dash cams as was reported by the family,” Fortune said.