Ruben Garcia served more than 30 years with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office before retiring in 2015.
SURPRISE, AZ — A retired Maricopa County sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed Saturday at a Surprise home by his son, who was later shot and killed by responding officers, police said.
The deaths of 63-year-old Ruben Garcia and 37-year-old Brandon Garcia have left investigators sorting through a domestic violence call that ended with two men dead and no reported injuries to officers. Glendale police are investigating the officer-involved shooting, while Surprise police and other authorities continue to review what happened inside the home near Reems and Greenway roads.
Police said the call came in Saturday evening after a family member reported an argument between a father and son at the home. The caller was not inside the house at the time, officials said. Officers were told that multiple gunshots had been heard from inside the residence. Surprise police responded to the area around 6:30 p.m. and entered the home. “When our officers arrived, they made entry, and that is when the officer-involved shooting occurred,” police said in an early statement. Brandon Garcia was struck by police gunfire and died at the scene. Officers later found Ruben Garcia dead inside the home.
Authorities said Brandon Garcia is believed to have shot and killed his father before officers arrived. Police have not released the full sequence of events that led officers to fire, including whether Brandon Garcia was armed when they entered, how many officers fired, or how many shots were fired by police. No officers were injured, and police said there was no ongoing threat to the community after the shooting. The home was in a residential area near 152nd Lane, where police tape blocked access as investigators worked through the scene.
Ruben Garcia had a long history with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Jerry Sheridan said Garcia served the agency from September 1984 until his retirement in May 2015. Sheridan described him as a respected public servant whose career was marked by courage and resilience. “Deputy Garcia bravely survived being shot in the line of duty and continued to serve with dedication until his retirement,” Sheridan said. The sheriff said Garcia’s death was a tragedy and offered condolences to his family.
Garcia survived a serious line-of-duty shooting in January 2013, when he responded to a domestic violence call in Peoria. He was shot multiple times and airlifted to a hospital in critical condition. The suspected gunman in that case died after a later exchange of gunfire with police. Garcia recovered from his injuries and returned to service before retiring about two years later. His earlier shooting was widely covered in the Valley and became part of the public record of his long career in law enforcement.
Family members remembered Ruben Garcia as more than a retired deputy. “He was a good, loving man, father, and husband,” the Garcia family said in a statement. “He will be missed by his family and friends. He was very loved.” A neighbor, identified as Fawzia, told local reporters that Garcia cared for others and that the circumstances of his death were painful for those nearby. “He was a good man and he took care of other people,” she said. “That is very sad. We are very sorry.”
The shooting is being reviewed as two related death investigations. Police have identified Ruben Garcia as the homicide victim and Brandon Garcia as the suspected shooter in his father’s death. Glendale police are handling the investigation into the officer-involved shooting, a common step when one police agency asks another to review a use of deadly force. Officials have not announced whether body camera video, 911 audio, or further reports will be released. No criminal charges are expected against Brandon Garcia because he died at the scene, but investigators still must complete reports on both deaths.
The case marks the first officer-involved shooting reported in Surprise this year, according to police statements released after the incident. It also came during a violent weekend in the Phoenix area, with several separate shootings under investigation across the Valley. In Surprise, the focus remained on the home where a family dispute became fatal and where a retired deputy who had survived being shot while serving the public was killed years after leaving the force.
As of Tuesday, Glendale police said the investigation into the officer-involved shooting remained open. Authorities have not released a timeline for the next public update or for the completion of investigative reports.
Author note: Last updated June 16, 2026.