Schizophrenic Man Shot Dead by Texas Police
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - A schizophrenic man killed by police officers in Texas on Saturday was armed only with a pellet gun and was shot more than 80 times, leaving him with 'no face', family members said.
The Laredo Police Department said it placed six officers who allegedly opened fire on Jose Walter Garza on administrative duties pending an internal investigation, media reported.
The incident, much of which was recorded on a surveillance camera, took place outside a truck stop on Saturday at around 2 am.
Police began firing at 30-year-old Garza after he 'put his finger on the trigger guard and pointed at the officers', according to a police spokesman.
The video, obtained by the Laredo Morning Times, shows the man being shot and falling to the ground but doesn't provide evidence that he was threatening the officers. The pellet gun was a replica of a semiautomatic handgun.
Laredo Police Chief Ray Garner said the shooting appears justified based on the circumstances, according to the Laredo Morning Times.
Garza was prescribed medication for schizophrenia and could be disruptive when not taking his medication, his cousin, Andrea Martinez, told the New York Daily News.
But “he wouldn't get aggressive, he wouldn't hurt anyone”, she said. “Why didn't they shoot him in the leg, or the arm or something? Not like that.”
He was shot so many times he 'had no face', Martinez said.
