Apr. 14—Julian Garcia may not have known the man who shot his uncle in the face.
But he killed him anyway, police said at a news conference Monday, then posted a video online suggesting he was ready to continue a spiral of violence that had already taken the lives of two people.
Instead, police shot him first.
Albuquerque Police Department officials on Monday detailed a police shooting from March that started with a double murder investigation dating to September 2024. It was the fifth police shooting of the year.
Garcia, 19, remains hospitalized after he was shot by an unidentified officer and member of APD’s Investigative Support Unit, or ISU. Garcia had a gun when ISU officers attempted to arrest him near an Unser Boulevard and Sage Road neighborhood but did not fire it.
“And once again, this is our ISU unit,” APD Chief Harold Medina said during the news conference. “You know, at times, there are questions as to why (ISU) has been involved in a few recent officer-involved shootings. I think it’s important to recognize they do chase the worst of the worst.”
Medina did not identify the officer who shot Garcia but said he had been involved in five prior police shootings. The nature of those incidents was not provided.
“That’s standard practice for us when some of our detectives are out in the community doing undercover work so that they’re not recognized,” Medina said.
The officer, who was hired in 2007, has returned to duty.
Before the Unser shooting, police believe that Eziekel Brown approached Garcia and his uncle, James Garcia, near the 300 block of Grove Street in September 2024.
“He walked up to James Garcia, mumbled something along the lines of, ‘do you remember me,’ pulled out a gun, and shot James Garcia, eventually leading to his death,” said APD Commander Kyle Hartsock during the news conference. “Right next to James Garcia was his nephew.”
Hartsock said Garcia then shot Brown, rendering him incapacitated but alive.
“As bystanders came up to try to help Mr. Brown, who was shot and wounded, Julian Garcia walked up and fired at least three more rounds into Ezekiel Brown, killing him on the spot,” Hartsock said. “A murder warrant was issued in February.”
Sometime after, Garcia posted a short video to social media. In it, he says that he doesn’t need help. He “needs more bodies” while waving a handgun with a laser pointer at the camera.
Police eventually located him and decided to ambush him along Unser during the daytime.
“Detectives determined this would be the safest place to try to apprehend Julian. They were unsure if he was armed, but he was walking alone at the time,” Hartsock said.
The body camera video shared with the Journal shows the ISU team driving up to Garcia and walking along Unser before bursting out of the vehicle. The officers shout, “Police hands up” as they chase Garcia through an empty field.
“He’s got a gun,” one officer shouts.
As Garcia gets a few feet from the wall, one officer fires a semi-automatic rifle multiple times, striking Garcia. The officers continue to approach, walking now, and fire a 40 mm less-lethal round at Garcia.
Garcia is then handcuffed while his clothes are cut off as the officer examines his wounds and renders aid. Hartsock said he was unaware of Garcia’s current condition but said he remained in intensive care.
Hartsock said Garcia will be charged with an open count or murder once he is released from the hospital.