HOUSTON – A Sergeant with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office turned himself in after his indictment for the fatal shooting of Roderick Brooks.
Sgt. Garrett Hardin is out on a $10,000 bond.
Hardin’s attorneys filed a motion for a speedy trial and as of now the trial date is set for next month on Nov. 27.
Hardin’s appearance in front of a judge comes a day after a grand jury indicted him for the death of 47-year-old Roderick Brooks.
Hardin’s attorneys say they are ready for trial.
“The facts are not going to change. Even based on their probable cause, the fact they indicted him is a joke. He is being tased with his taser. If you look carefully at that video, watch it carefully and watch it closely. You will see the suspect is starting to turn and grab the taser,” said attorney Justin Keiter.
Hardin’s body camera footage before the shooting showed him chasing Brooks after authorities said Brooks was shoplifting.
Investigators said while the two of them were on the ground, Brooks got ahold of the Sergeant’s taser, leading Hardin to shoot him.
Both sides say the body cam footage is the center point of their case.
“The video is going to be the centerpiece in all of this,” said an attorney for Brooks’ family Sadiyah Evangelista-Karriem.
“A taser can be a deadly weapon. The law allows you to defend yourself against a deadly weapon. So at the moment in time the suspect grabbed his taser, whether or not he even got tased, he’s allowed to use deadly force to defend himself,” said one of Hardin’s attorneys Lisa Andrews.
The Brooks family attorneys were hoping for a high bond. They said the $10,000 bond is “deeply troubling”.
The family and their attorneys issued this statement:
“In a system where countless individuals, especially those of color, face exorbitantly high bonds for lesser offenses, it’s deeply troubling that Deputy Garrett Hardin, with clear evidence against him and a tainted service record, is granted a mere $10,000 bond for the murder of Roderick Brooks. The disparity in bond amounts lays bare the racial biases and the preferential treatment extended to those in law enforcement. This paltry bond is not only a disservice to the Brooks family but also highlights the systemic racial disparities and protective shield around officers. We demand a justice system that is equitable, fair, and uncompromising in its pursuit of justice for all.”
