EDINBURG, Texas — According to Edinburg authorities Chief Jaime Ayala, the suspect in the officer-involved shooting on Tuesday morning had past interactions with authorities.
During the press conference, Chief Ayala identified the individual as Justin Lee Garza. Around 8:10 a.m., police were summoned to the corner of University Drive and Sugar Road in response to reports of a man walking erratically while brandishing two knives.
Police identified the man as Garza and issued verbal directives to de-escalate the situation. Garza refused, and the officer shot him once.
Garza was sent to an area hospital. He is believed to be in critical but stable condition, according to authorities.
Ayala added that Garza has a lengthy criminal record that includes mental health and substance misuse difficulties.
Garza has been stopped by police several times in recent months. The most recent incident occurred on June 9, when officials responded to Garza, who was behaving erratically and trespassing on a rooftop.
According to an earlier ValleyCentral article, police spent several hours on the scene de-escalating the situation.
Ayala added that on Monday, their mental health crisis team offered Garza mental health assistance, which he declined.
Ayala added that the officer has been placed on paid administrative leave.
During the news conference, Ayala stated that the university was never at risk. When Edinburg police arrived, the scene had already been secured with the assistance of UTRGV officers.
The Texas Rangers were asked to look into the officer-involved shooting. The Edinburg Police Department’s Internal Affairs Unit is launching an administrative investigation in accordance with protocol.
This is a continuing investigation.
