DA Finds 3 Arapahoe County Deputies Justified In Deadly Shooting Of Lisa Garcia In September
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) -- The Office of the District Attorney 18th Judicial District released a report Tuesday that finds three Arapahoe County deputies justified in the deadly shooting of armed suspect Lisa Garcia in September 2021.
Garcia was wanted by Denver Police Department on first-degree murder after she was accused of shooting and killing a relative in Denver.
It was determined three Arapahoe County deputies all fired shots that struck Garcia when they responded to her in the 7500 block of E. Harvard Avenue at Ivy Crossing Apartments. She died at the scene, and the District Attorney determined found all three deputies did not commit any crime, and criminal charges won't be filed against them.
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According to the DA report, the first deputy who gained sight of Garcia was recorded on his body cam yelling, "Stop! Police stop!"
A female voice is then heard saying, "I've got a gun," and Garcia's right hand appeared from her purse holding a handgun, which was later determined to be an airsoft pistol. The airsoft pistol was metallic looking and solid black in color with no orange tip.
The DA says Garcia then turns toward the first deputy with the black handgun pointing at him. Garcia took a shooting stance with both hands on the handgun, the deputy dropped to a kneeling position and fired his rifle at her. The deputy said he kept firing until she went to the ground.
A second deputy said as Garcia started to turn, he could see a black handgun in her hand and she was raising it up and pointing it toward the first deputy and said he was scared that she was going to shoot and kill him. So he fired two rounds from his rifle from roughly 25 yards away.
Garcia fell forward to the ground with the gun and her hands under her body. A third deputy was also responding to the scene at that point and fired a 40mm, less-lethal, Direct Impact round at Garcia, striking her on her behind. Garcia was reportedly moving on the ground and not listening to commands, so the third deputy fired another 40mm Direct Impact round at Garcia, striking her on her behind again, with no reaction.
Deputies moved in to perform an arrest on Garcia as well as provide her first aid. Garcia was pronounced dead at the scene. Autopsy findings determined her cause of death to be a gunshot wound to her chest. She also had multiple gunshot wounds to other parts of her body.
The DA said, although the handgun was later determined to be an airsoft pistol, there was no way for the deputies to distinguish it from a lethal firearm with the amount of time they all had to decide.
A fourth officer responded to the scene, but he was not found to have fired any shots during the response.
