‘He did everything you are not supposed to do:’ Southern Colorado deputy allegedly pulls gun on teenagers while off-duty

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - This is an update to a story we told you about last week involving a deputy arrested on charges of menacing and first-degree official misconduct.

Daniel Garcia has been employed with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office since 2013 and has worked in the Detention Operations Division.

He was booked in the county jail last month and has since posted bail at 2,000 dollars.

Garcia was placed on administrative leave on March 10th.

According to the arrest papers obtained by 11 News, one victim claims a gun got pulled because of a missing iPhone.

The arrest papers said a woman chased a group of teens, whom she believed had stolen an iPhone, through a park before continuing the chase by vehicle.

The papers said the woman called Garcia and told him where the teens were. They said Garcia, who was off duty then, blocked the vehicle and pulled out his gun but re-holstered it after realizing it was a car full of teenagers.

The papers also mention Garcia was wearing a hoodie but still had on his gear belt.

Court papers said he had the four individuals sit on the curb while he called dispatch. According to the dispatch call, Garcia reported stopping the vehicle because it was going 50 to 70 miles per hour in a residential neighborhood.

According to the arrest papers, the woman pulled up and asked who had stolen the iPhone around this time. They also said every teen on the curb said they didn’t know what she was talking about.

One dispatcher in the affidavit said, “He did everything you are not supposed to do,” like not activating his body-worn camera, pulling a gun while off-duty and out of uniform, and investigating his own crime.

11 News has contacted Colorado Springs Police Department and the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office for comment. The Sheriff’s Office said they cannot comment on an active investigation. 

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