The Maryland Office of the Attorney General released police body worn camera video concerning a police-involved in-custody incident Dec. 24, 2024 in Gaithersburg.
The video may be disturbing to watch for some.
Police responded to the 300 block of North Summit Avenue after receiving a report of a man causing a disturbance. When they arrived, the saw a man lying on the ground in front of an apartment building.
The man was identified as 35-year-old Marvin Salamanca Garcia. According to the police video, he is married and has two children.
The 38-minute video shows views from four different Gaithersburg police officers. They show a man covered in blood, conscious and acting erratically. According to police, the man spoke in Spanish, often referring to Jesus and Bible verses.
He at first was lying down near the entrance to his apartment.
When Garcia got up and started walking toward police, the officers grabbed him and laid him on the ground. Soon he became unresponsive, and police tried to start up his heart and render CPR.
During the video, a family walked by and spoke with the police, saying they had been in the apartment but left when Garcia became erratic. They also said his wife and children went to a hotel.
Throughout the video, various Gaithersburg officers talk about how the victim was covered in blood and had “deep lacerations” on his hands.
“Both of his hands are cut badly,” said one officer, adding he did not know if the cuts were self-inflicted. At one point, an officer translated the man’s Spanish, indicating he said, “He’s sending his spirit to Jesus.”
Another officer went into the family’s apartments, which he described as covered in blood, possible with messages on the wall.
He was transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Dec. 26.
The Attorney General’s Independent Investigations Division continues to investigate the incident as it does for all police-involved incidents that result in death.
