Justice for the Garcia Family

Jesus Benito Garcia, Sr., tragically lost his life on March 9, 2020, in Elmendorf, Texas, due to a fatal shooting by Brandin Moran, a Bexar County Sheriff’s deputy. For over 18 months, TRLA worked with Mr. Garcia’s widow and five adult children to address various issues arising from the incident’s aftermath. The family sought mental health and grief counseling services and initiated efforts to uncover the truth behind Mr. Garcia’s unfortunate fate. Despite persistent attempts, they faced consistent denials, even denied access to Mr. Garcia’s autopsy report.

It was not until more than a year after the incident and multiple rejected requests under the Public Information Act that the family finally obtained the chance to view bodycam footage and hear portions of other related documents during a meeting with the Bexar County District Attorney’s Civil Rights division.

Although the division promised to bring Mr. Garcia’s case before a grand jury, the family’s patience wore thin. Calls and emails for updates remained unanswered. Eventually, the family was compelled to file a lawsuit before the civil case’s statute of limitations expired. On March 3, 2022, TRLA initiated the lawsuit in the Western District of Texas, naming both the deputy and the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office as defendants. Following this, on March 21, Deputy Moran was indicted for manslaughter by a Bexar County grand jury.

Unexpectedly, on March 25, merely four days after the indictment, the Bexar County District Attorney dropped the manslaughter charges against the deputy. Furthermore, the District Attorney’s office opted to represent the deputy in TRLA’s civil litigation.

In April 2022, during a pre-trial discovery conference, TRLA suggested settlement discussions with the defendants before proceeding with litigation. This was met with a definitive “no.” As the litigation progressed, Bexar County eventually provided bodycam footage, shedding light on a tense domestic altercation between Mr. Garcia and his wife. Throughout the incident, Mr. Garcia, in apparent mental distress, held a screwdriver to his neck, threatening self-harm. Elmendorf Police Seargent Reyes was first to arrive and engage with the Garcias. He used tactics designed to de-escalate and resolve the situation. Then, Deputy Moran burst through the door and, in less than 10 seconds, shot Mr. Garcia multiple times.

The story takes a further disheartening turn when Deputy Moran is left alone with Mr. Garcia, who is still alive, after Sgt. Reyes removed Mrs. Garcia from the scene to provide care. Despite his training, Deputy Moran took no action except to enter the kitchen to wash blood off his hands. Eventually, when Mr. Garcia stopped moving, Deputy Moran uttered the words, “He’s done.” Emergency responders found Mr. Garcia with a pulse but he succumbed to his injuries at the scene despite their efforts.

After Bexar County presented this evidence, a change of direction occurred, and the county contacted TRLA for mediation. The mediation occurred on July 21, 2022, resulting in a settlement agreement. While the Garcia family is relieved to avoid the prolonged trauma of litigation, they remain unsettled by the lack of criminal accountability and the DA’s dismissal of the indictment against Deputy Moran. As individuals who have tragically lost family members to law enforcement, they emphasize that progress in policing can only be achieved through accountability.

Advocating For Families

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11,160 family law clients and household members assisted

1,529 family clients assisted with Crime Victims Compensation