WEST HARTFORD, Conn. — An attorney representing the family of 34-year-old Mike Alexander-Garcia held a virtual news conference Tuesday afternoon. Attorneys released a new video taken by a customer inside the Town Fair Tire shop in West Hartford after the shooting. Attorneys allege they believe the video shows a two-to-seven-minute delay in providing CPR.
Attorneys citing the time code from the body camera worn by Officer Andrew Teeter show Alexander-Garcia was shot around 5:12 p.m.
Metadata from the video recorded by the customer shows the video started recording around 5:17 p.m. Two minutes from the start of that video is when officers can be seen giving CPR, which attorneys estimate would be 5:19 p.m.
“The video shows officers standing around the vehicle where our client was shot there appears to be a delay of two minutes before any CPR or any other lifesaving efforts are made to resuscitate our client who had just been shot four times at point-blank range,” said Peter Bowman, Managing Litigation Partner, at BBB Attorneys.
Attorneys asked for the Office of the Inspector General to take a closer look at the timing and requested the release of metadata from the body cameras of all the officers involved.
“Assessment and coordination of the correct times of the events are needed, but our preliminary findings appear to show a seven-minute delay from when the shooting occurred until when the officers began to administer medical aid to our client,” said Bowman.
During the news conference Tuesday afternoon, attorneys said a second independent autopsy was conducted out of state, and funded by the Autopsy Initiative, which is a part of the Know Your Rights Camp started by former NFL player Colin Kaepernick. Attorneys said the family is in the process of bringing Alexander-Garcia’s body back to Connecticut for burial.
The attorneys also reiterated the family believes the shooting was ‘improper and unnecessary’ also demanding West Hartford Police make it publicly known if Officer Teeter is on administrative leave during this investigation.
“The status of the Officer is unclear and should be made clear by the Town of West Hartford,” said Bowman.
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FOX61 reached out to the West Hartford Police Department for comment on the release of the video and these new allegations. In an email, Chief of Police Vernon Riddick Jr. said, "We are referring all further inquiries regarding this matter to the Office of Inspector General."
The case remains under investigation by the Office of Inspector General.
jgarcia@fox61.com. Follow him on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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