A Sunday afternoon in Garland, Texas, turned into a deadly scene of self-defense when a carjacking attempt by an illegal immigrant ended with a suspect fatally shot by his intended victim.
The incident, which unfolded at a gas station near the intersection of Highway 66 and Dairy Road, began shortly after an initial car crash involving three vehicles.
According to a statement released by the Garland Police Department, the suspect—later identified by investigators as Jose Ramirez—reportedly crashed into two other cars before abandoning his vehicle.
He then attempted to enter several other cars at a nearby gas station.
His final attempt targeted a white Chevrolet Impala, which was occupied by a driver, two adult women, and several children.
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Police say a violent physical struggle broke out when Ramirez tried to take the Impala by force. Surveillance footage obtained by local media shows the suspect wrestling with the driver for roughly a minute. During the heat of the altercation, the driver produced a handgun and fired, hitting the suspect.
“The suspect, described as a Hispanic male, was transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased,” Garland Police stated. “The driver of the Impala remained at the scene and has been cooperative with investigators. No charges have been filed. The investigation remains ongoing.”
Authorities noted that no one inside the Impala or other bystanders were injured during the confrontation. Reports following the incident identified Ramirez as an undocumented immigrant from Mexico.
The shooting occurred in a state with some of the country’s most permissive self-defense laws.
Texas enacted “constitutional carry” in 2021, allowing most adults to carry a firearm without a permit. Additionally, the state’s “stand your ground” law, in place since 2007, removes the duty to retreat if a person has a legal right to be in a location and reasonably believes deadly force is necessary to protect themselves or others from an immediate threat.
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