A grand jury has indicted Harris County Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Garrett Hardin for murder in the fatal shooting of Roderick Brooks, a Black man, during a confrontation following a shoplifting incident. The incident occurred in July 2022 at a Dollar Tree store in north Houston. Hardin confronted Brooks after he allegedly fled the store without paying for several items. Body camera footage released by the sheriff’s office showed Hardin using a stun gun on Brooks and subsequently pinning him to the ground. Brooks briefly grabbed the stun gun before losing his grip on it. It is unclear from the video if Brooks had the stun gun in his hand when he was shot. Hardin has been charged with murder and could face up to life in prison if convicted.
The Harris County District Attorney’s Office presented the case before the grand jury, which resulted in the indictment. Hardin’s attorney, Justin Keiter, and lawyers representing Brooks’ family have not yet provided comments on the indictment. Keiter had previously stated that Hardin’s actions were legal and that he would be exonerated.
Following the indictment, Hardin will be relieved of duty by the sheriff’s office, and an internal committee will review the case to recommend possible disciplinary action. In September 2022, Brooks’ family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Hardin, which is still pending.
