SAN ANTONIO — Family and friends of the man shot and killed by a San Antonio police officer early Monday morning are demanding transparency after hearing conflicting stories about how the shooting unfolded.
San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said 34-year-old Ruben Garcia was shot following a chase and struggle at the Winston Square Apartments off South General McMullen. McManus said Garcia was armed.
However, the chief said the information he released at the scene is preliminary and could change.
“We had patrol out here in the complex, he noticed a man displaying a pistol in his waistband to someone,” McManus said.
He said the officer attempted to stop Garcia but he ran. McManus said the officer chased him and tased him with no effect.
“They struggled over the gun after that tasing attempt, the suspect and the officer and at some point during that struggle, the officer stepped back and shot the individual,” McManus said.
Jesse Sanchez was hanging out with Garcia minutes before the shooting. He said Garcia was walking to the corner store. A few minutes after he left, he saw him being chased by police.
He said Garcia was hit by the taser and on the ground face down.
“We could hear my friend going uh, the cops go ‘don’t move – and right when my friend tried to move a little bit, he just started shooting him in the back, boom boom, shot him four times in the back,” Sanchez said.
Another witness who lives at the apartment complex next door said she saw the struggle that led up the shooting as she was sitting outside on her balcony.
“He was trying to put him in handcuffs, I’m not sure if he had both handcuffs, because I know he bent down and was over him for a good minute and then we backed up,” The witness said. “I didn’t see Ruben get up, move or nothing, I just saw the cop move back and start shooting him.”
She took video of the crime scene. She said she did not know Garcia personally but wanted to make sure his family knew what she saw.
“I know they’re going through a hard time,” She said.
The mother of Garcia’s five kids said she is now left wondering what exactly happened to her children’s father.
“We just want answers, he was a good person,” Sabrina Carrion said.
Chief McManus said at the scene, Garcia had a lengthy criminal history. Online records show 22 previous arrests, going all the way back to 2007. His latest arrest was on October 4th for drug possession. He was out on bond for that charge.
The officer who shot him is on administrative duty, per SAPD protocol. McManus said he has been with the department for four years.
KENS 5 has put in an open records request for body camera video of the incident.
> MORE ON KENS