GREELEY, Colo. — A suicidal man shot by a Greeley police officer on June 8 attempted to light a tank of methanol on fire, which could have caused an explosion a quarter mile wide and resulted “in the death or serious injury to all persons” in the area, according to an arrest affidavit.
Stephen D. Garcia, 54, was shot in the jaw and shoulder before he could set fire to the highly flammable and explosive gases, the arrest affidavit says. He is charged with:
- Four counts of attempted first-degree murder.
- Four counts of attempted first-degree assault.
- One count of attempted manufacture of an incendiary device.
On the morning of June 8, officers with the Greeley Police Department (GPD), deputies with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) and troopers with Colorado State Patrol (CSP) responded to an active oil drilling site on Highway 257 Spur in unincorporated Weld County.
Garcia was first seen by an oil field worker who said he saw him hiding behind a tank of flammable and explosive gases with a flare in his hand, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit states officers feared Garcia would ignite the methanol tank, which could cause a large explosion in the area with a “blast radius of up to a quarter mile.” The tank is near the entrance to Missile Silo Park, a public park where officers observed people driving while, according to the arrest affidavit, Garcia attempted to light the fire.
After assessing the danger, officers retreated about 100 yards away for their safety and said they used binoculars to monitor Garcia’s movements. Officers observed Garcia “using a road flare to ignite something on the oil tank,” the affidavit says.
The affidavit also says first responders at the time worried Garcia may have had access to a WCSO vehicle that was left near the tank when the deputy retreated. A rifle was inside that car, which officers said they believed would be accessible to Garcia, the affidavit says.
Fearing Garcia may soon ignite the tank, the affidavit says officers moved to apprehend him. After giving verbal commands to Garcia to show his hands and stop moving, officers shot less lethal bean bag rounds from a shotgun.
Garcia did not stop and officers said he moved towards the methanol tank with the intent “to ignite an object, probably cloth, in an effort to cause an explosion," according to the arrest affidavit.
One Greeley officer then fired two rounds, which struck Garcia. The affidavit states officers believe Garcia was “within a second of reaching and igniting the cloth.”
Court documents show WCSO deputies and CSP troopers responded in 2016 to reports of Garcia holding a sword near the same location. Officers stated Garcia was suicidal at the time.
Garcia appeared in Weld County District Court on Monday, June 17 for an advisement hearing.
SUGGESTED VIDEOS | Investigations from 9Wants to Know
