A suspect struggling while officers tried to handcuff him early Sunday at a Motel 6 in Sunnyvale managed to fire off a handgun, shooting himself in the foot, authorities said.
Paul Garcia, 31, was one of two suspects inside a suspicious car spotted by police shortly after midnight at the Motel 6 at 775 N. Mathilda Ave., according to the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety.
The pair lied about their names and fled when officers tried to search them for weapons, police said. Garcia took off through the motel complex and officers in pursuit said they saw him reach into his waistband.
To prevent Garcia from possibly retrieving a weapon, one officer deployed a taser, causing the suspect to fall onto his stomach with his right hand beneath him, police said.
While they were trying to put handcuffs on him, the officers said they saw a handgun in his right hand. They continued to struggle as Garcia resisted and the suspect fired off two rounds during the struggle, one of which struck him in his foot.
Officers were eventually able to take him into custody without further incident. The suspect was provided medical care and taken to a local hospital for treatment and evaluation for the non-life-threatening injury.
He was cleared and arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, and an outstanding felony warrant for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The two officers had minor injuries and did not require medical treatment.
The other suspect, 24-year-old Kyllie Lawson, fled the area while officers were struggling with Garcia. She tried to leave by Uber, police said, but was located a short distance away and arrested on suspicion of a probation violation and several outstanding felony warrants.
Two Suspects Taken into Custody and Booked on Multiple Charges Including Attempted Murder of a Police Officer. Details here: https://t.co/2vmg8tIiSl.
Media Contact: Captain Craig Anderson 650-382-2603 pic.twitter.com/lRamxQAJXF
— Sunnyvale DPS (@SunnyvaleDPS) April 18, 2021
Anyone with information about the case is asked to contact Detective Holt at 408.730.7100.
“To prevent Garcia from possibly retrieving a weapon, one officer deployed a taser…”
Gee, a person of color reaching into his waistband. Where have we heard that one before? Isn’t it always supposed to be a lie, a fabrication meant to justify the hatred-based, unlawful shooting of a minority?
I hope the citizens of Sunnyvale are happy. Their officers, acting on what they saw but not in their own best interests, risked their lives rather than take a chance of ending up in a hyperbolic news story that goes viral.
“a handgun in his right hand. They continued to struggle as Garcia resisted and the suspect fired off two rounds during the struggle…”
How’d that gun end up in his hand? Why, it seems he pulled it out of his waistband, but for what purpose? Was he trying to surrender it, as one would assume had the media posted an angelic photo of him at his confirmation? No, it seems he was intent on murdering the officers. But why? What had his upbringing, or society itself, done to cause him to react in this way? Was it fear; his terrified response to the systemic racism, intrinsic bias, and white supremacy that permeates police departments?
I’d considered waiting before commenting, giving the skilled social commentators from the news media, Congress, and the White House to enlighten me, but something tells me they’re going to take a pass on this one.
In the foot? Next time maybe he will be able to do better than just shoot himself in the foot. Oh, and there will be a next time. A POS like him will always to go for an illegal gun.
Good work, officers. Stay safe and I just hope that your department and the political types will back up you’re a split-second decisions.
“She tried to leave by Uber”
baaaahahaha
The average CA IQ is third lowest in the US, 95.5.
A good rule of thumb is to subtract 10 points for criminals.
So mean IQ of CA criminals ~85.
Read the beginning of the article and they were not doing anything wrong and should have never been asked any questions. Judge should throw this case away bc they did not commit any crimes prior to the incident and because police had no reason to interrogate two people for just being suspicious thats just unlawful and makes me sick because this has happened to me before in sunnyvale where police see me and want to talk to me for being “suspicious” (hispanic in a wealthy neighborhood/ businesses )