A deputy U.S. Marshal accused of ramming a police cruiser after a violent confrontation with his girlfriend was ordered to surrender his weapons and undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
Rafael Garcia, 41, of New Jersey, was arraigned Wednesday in front of Judge Karen Sequino in Superior Court in Derby.
Shelton police received several 911 calls at about 11 a.m. Tuesday reporting that a man was chasing a woman outside the Heather Ridge condos.
People were “screaming for help,” according to the initial radio dispatch.
When police arrived, Garcia had already allegedly struck his girlfriend with his car. She suffered a gash to her leg that required 20 stitches to close. He rammed a police car while trying to flee, police said.
Police later said at least one round had been fired from a gun during the incident.
Garcia suffers from depression, according to a conversation between his lawyer, Ed Gavin and the judge.
Police had initially set Garcia’s bond at $1 million.
Gavin argued that the amount was “tremendously excessive.”
He said that the discharge of the firearm was not intentional, but part of a struggle that took place during the incident.
Gavin said the victim indicated that she grabbed Garcia’s weapon and fired it into the floor during the argument, then threw a second gun away from them.
Judge Sequino, however, said that Garcia’s out-of-state residency — coupled with the allegation that he threatened to kill the woman and himself — necessitated a high bond.
She set his bond at $500,000.
“This court takes depression and risk of violence very seriously,” Judge Sequino said.
Garcia has been with the U.S. Marshals for 17 years. He is a single-father with three children, his lawyer said.
Three of Garcia’s family members were in court. They cried throughout his appearance.
“I love you papa,” one of the women said as he was being escorted out of court.
Garcia has been charged with first-degree assault, first-degree criminal attempt to commit assault and criminal attempt to commit assault on a police officer.
Garcia’s next court date is Aug. 24. The case will likely get transferred to Milford, where more serious criminal matters are heard.
Depressed or not-violent behavior is unacceptable!
His lawyer, Ed Gavin, says he suffers from depression. If that is a fact, he should have
disposed of his weapons, before he could have killed his girl friend, in his confrontation with her, with no less than two firearms. Why do mentally depressed people, like this suspect, have such easy access to multiple, deadly firewarms?
There are so many things wrong with this article. So many wrong details. I’m not trying to justify him on what he did but reporters and police over did it with the information. This man I use to look up to and look at what he did.
Blue23 DONT LOOK DOWN ON HIM. HE MAD A MISTAKE! HE LOST HIS HOUSE! HIS LIFE SAVINGS HIS JOB! AND HIS WIFE! HES STILL A GREAT GUY WITH A GREAT HEART! WHO LIVES WITH SOOOOO!!!! MANY!!!! REGRETS!!!!HE WAS FOOLED AND IT COST HIM EVERYTHING!!!!
BLUE 23 DONT LOOK DOWN ON A GOODMAN THAT GOT A BAD DEAL! HE HAS SOOOO!!!! MANY!!!!REGRETS!!!! HE LOST HIS HOUSE! HIS LIFE SAVINGS! HIS JOB!!!!! HIS WIFE!!!! AND ALL FOR NOTHING!!!!IM SURE MANY ARE HAPPY!!!!