Texas Rangers report: Galveston officer shot unarmed man eight times during traffic stop
A Texas Rangers report obtained by houstonpublicmedia.org reveals Randy Martin, 47, was unarmed when a Galveston officer shot him eight times in May.
Galveston traffic stop turned fatal: Rangers report details unarmed shooting
A Texas Rangers investigative report obtained by houstonpublicmedia.org reveals that Randy Martin, 47, was unarmed at the time a Galveston police officer shot him eight times during a traffic stop on 18 May.
Galveston Police Officer Joshua Nino De Guzman pulled Martin over in the afternoon after observing him fail to make complete stops at multiple stop signs. Before initiating the stop, De Guzman had noted that Martin was leaving a location he described as a known "high drug trafficking area."
Body camera footage showed De Guzman approach the vehicle and request Martin's licence and insurance. After reviewing the documents, De Guzman asked Martin to step out of the car. Once outside, De Guzman told Martin he had been stopped for the traffic violations and stated he wanted to confirm Martin was not carrying a firearm.
De Guzman told investigators he was in immediate fear at that point, citing where Martin had come from. He said he attempted to conduct a pat-down, but Martin refused his commands and resisted. Body camera footage then recorded the two men entering into a physical struggle.
During that struggle, De Guzman told investigators he believed Martin was reaching for a gun and feared Martin intended to kill him. De Guzman fired his weapon eight times. The autopsy findings included in the Rangers' report indicate Martin sustained a total of seven gunshot wounds.
De Guzman also told investigators he saw Martin throw an item from the vehicle before falling out of the car onto his back. A passenger who witnessed the shooting told investigators she believed Martin had thrown drugs from the car.
The evidence list compiled by investigators at the scene makes no reference to a firearm in Martin's possession. Investigators did report finding a clear plastic container near which were multiple pieces of hard, rock-like white substances and crushed powdery white substances, which they said appeared consistent with crack cocaine. Presumptive drug tests recorded in the report returned positive results but did not identify the specific substance.
Last week, the Galveston Police Department released in-car and body camera footage from the shooting. Martin's family is now considering legal action against the City of Galveston. A grand jury had previously decided not to take action against De Guzman.
Source: Google News MT — Crime (en)