A Galveston police officer has been cleared of criminal charges by a grand jury over the fatal shooting of Randy Martin during a traffic stop in Texas.
Joshua Nino de Guzman was “no-billed” after the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office presented evidence relating to Martin’s death on 18 May 2026.
A no-bill means the grand jury decided not to indict the officer. It does not, however, conclude the department’s internal review of the shooting.
The incident happened at about 3.45pm in the 1700 block of 55th Street, near Avenue O, when de Guzman stopped the vehicle Martin was driving. Police said the officer asked him to get out and that a struggle followed.
De Guzman called for assistance before firing his weapon, hitting Martin several times. Officers provided first aid at the scene, but Martin was later pronounced dead at the University of Texas Medical Branch emergency department.
Martin, who was 47, was travelling with a passenger who was taken to hospital after the shooting. De Guzman was not injured.
The Texas Rangers are conducting the external investigation, while Galveston police said their internal affairs inquiry remains open. The department said it had not yet received the Rangers’ findings but expected them to be passed to investigators in the coming days.
De Guzman had served with the Galveston Police Department for about two and a half years before the shooting. He was placed on modified duty while the investigation was under way, in line with department policy.
The police department said it respected the grand jury’s decision, but that the outstanding internal investigation would continue.
