An off-duty South Bend police officer has been charged with seven counts following an alleged domestic dispute that led to his arrest earlier this week.
Emanuel Garcia, 24, of Elkhart, was taken into custody on Feb. 27 after officers responded to a disturbance in the 600 block of Victoria Street. According to police reports, Garcia was involved in an altercation with a woman he had been in a relationship with for about three months.
Prosecutors formally charged Garcia on Feb. 28 with the following offenses:
- Criminal Confinement (Level 6 Felony)
- Domestic Battery (Level 6 Felony)
- Resisting Law Enforcement (Level 6 Felony)
- Domestic Battery (Class A Misdemeanor)
- Resisting Law Enforcement (Class A Misdemeanor)
- Criminal Mischief (Class B Misdemeanor)
- Interference with Reporting a Crime (Class A Misdemeanor)
According to police, officers arrived at the scene on Feb. 26 after receiving a call about a disturbance. The victim was holding her 5-year-old daughter when she told officers that Garcia had been on a “rampage” and refused to leave her home. She alleged that he removed her security camera, threw it into the street, and knocked a phone from her hand when she tried to call the police.
As officers attempted to detain Garcia, he allegedly resisted, backing away and reaching for a firearm in his pocket while shouting, “I got a gun, shoot me.” A struggle ensued before officers managed to disarm and arrest him.
Body camera footage captured the incident, and prosecutors reviewed video evidence before filing charges.
Garcia is being held at the St. Joseph County Jail as the investigation continues.
