Phoenix officers didn’t fire bullet that injured woman during police shooting in Gilbert

PHOENIX – Phoenix officers didn’t fire the bullet that injured a woman during a shooting involving police in Gilbert earlier this month, authorities said Wednesday.

A suspect, 41-year-old David Garcia, was killed during the incident. The injured woman remains hospitalized in stable condition and is expected to survive, according to the Gilbert Police Department.

The Mesa Police Department Forensic Division conducted a ballistic examination of the bullet that struck the victim and determined it matched the firearm recovered from Garcia.

All rounds fired by Phoenix officers were recovered, police said.

Why were Phoenix officers in Gilbert at time of shooting?

The incident started near 51st Avenue and Interstate 10 in Phoenix, where a man was seen forcing a woman into a truck around 5:40 p.m. on Feb. 12.

Phoenix officers tracked the truck to Williams Field and Higley roads in Gilbert just after midnight. That’s where police shot Garcia.

No details have been released about what prompted officers to fire at the suspect, whose vehicle was seen afterward on TV news footage with its rear windshield missing.

Garcia died of his injuries after being taken to a hospital.

The Gilbert Police Department is handling the investigation into the shooting.

The Phoenix Police Department is expected to release a critical incident briefing about the shooting soon.

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