GALVESTON — The City of Galveston has requested a ruling from the Texas Attorney General’s Office to withhold the public release of bodycam and dash camera footage from May’s fatal officer-involved shooting of Randy Martin, public records confirm.

In a formal letter brief submitted to the state, city attorneys argue that releasing the video recordings at this stage could compromise the ongoing independent investigation being conducted by the Texas Rangers. Under Section 552.108 of the Texas Public Information Act, law enforcement agencies are permitted to request the withholding of evidence related to active, pending criminal inquiries.

Incident Overview and Next Steps

The shooting occurred on May 18th, at approximately 3:45 p.m. during a traffic stop in the 1700 block of 55th Street. According to the Galveston Police Department, an officer discharged his weapon during the encounter, striking Martin. Galveston EMS transported Martin to the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Emergency Department, where he was pronounced deceased.

Per departmental policy, the officer has been placed on leave, pending the outcome of concurrent investigations by the Texas Rangers and the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.

The Texas Attorney General’s Office typically has 45 business days to review the city’s legal arguments and issue a binding opinion on whether the footage must be disclosed or may remain confidential during the investigation.

KGTX 7 has submitted a request to track the state’s decision-making process and will report the final determination.