HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — It was an emotional scene Monday when jurors returned a not-guilty verdict in the murder trial of former Harris County Sheriff's Office Sgt. Garrett Hardin for the 2022 shooting death of Roderick Brooks. There were tears, shouts and applause when the verdict was read before the judge ordered everyone to quiet down.
The case went to the jury around 11:40 a.m. on Monday following closing arguments. They deliberated about three-and-a-half hours before reaching the verdict.
Hardin was accused of killing Brooks while responding to a shoplifting call on FM 1960. He claimed it was self-defense because Brooks grabbed his Taser as they wrestled on the ground.
“Thank goodness police can do their job safely in a dangerous area and have a jury back them up and tell them, 'We understand how dangerous the streets of Harris County are, we understand you did something you didn't want to do,'" said defense attorney Justin Keiter who broke down in tears after the verdict.
In closing arguments, defense attorneys said Brooks had an extensive criminal history and had just been released on bond when he was shot.
Prosecutors argued that Brooks' background wasn't relevant and he didn't deserve to die. They didn't comment on camera after the verdict and neither did Brooks' family.
“We have contended from the jump that Officer Hardin was not reasonable in his use of force and we have all the evidence that we gleaned from this trial that we’re going to use in our civil case," said attorney Justin Moore who is representing the family in a civil lawsuit.
After seeing the bodycam video a few weeks after the shooting, Brooks' family called it an execution.
"We want the world to know Roderick was executed," his sister Demetria Brooks-Glaze said at the time. "We seen him get executed."
His family said Brooks was stealing shampoo before he was shot and killed.
"Shoplifting does not warrant to kill a man," Brooks-Glaze said. "Anybody can put themselves in our shoes. If it was your loved one, your sister, your brother, your daughter, your son had their face pushed in the hot concrete, and you can answer that question yourself. How would you feel?"
What the body camera shows
In the video, Hardin is seen pulling into a parking lot to follow the man accused of shoplifting.
Hardin gets out of his patrol vehicle and yells at Brooks, "Come here, dude." Brooks responds by running through a gas station parking lot. Hardin chases after Brooks and fires his Taser, striking him. Brooks, who had just run into a car that was pulling into the gas station, stopped moving and Hardin tackled him to the ground losing control of the Taser, the video appears to show.
While Hardin is on top of Brooks' back, Brooks struggles to try and get up and manages to grab the Taser but appears unable to lift his arms.
Hardin responded by telling Brooks, "I'm going to shoot you, put that down. I will f****** shoot you."
Hardin is then seen pulling out his pistol as Brooks loses control of the Taser. While Hardin is still on top of Brooks' back, Brooks appears to grab the Taser again and pulls it toward his own body.
Hardin then fired his pistol, shooting Brooks.
As Brooks lay motionless on the ground, Hardin appeared to apply pressure to the wound while talking on his radio.
"Shots fired," Hardin said in his first radio message. Moments later he spoke on the radio again. "I'm in the gas station parking lot, Bammelwood and Kuykendahl. Suspect's down. Need EMS."
Brooks died at the scene.
Hardin was relieved of duty with the sheriff's office after being indicted by a grand jury about a year ago.