ARIZONA (Phoenix PD) – The Phoenix Police Department has released a Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) video that includes audio, visuals and information related to an officer-involved shooting (OIS) which occurred on May 9, 2022.
This incident occurred in the area of 7th Street and Bell Road, when residents in the neighborhood called 911. The initial caller told 911 operators that a man broke an apartment window and was last seen walking towards Bell Road. Additional 911 calls were received stating a man had broken a window of a business, thrown bottles at passing vehicles and was acting violently.
The first two responding officers were flagged down by a witness who told the them the man was still in the parking lot. One of the officers shared the information over the radio for other responding patrol units.
As the officers drove around the parking lot, they located a man matching the description given. The man was holding a river rock. The two officers discussed a plan for one of them to be ready to use a Taser.
The officers got out of the patrol car and began giving the man commands to drop the river rock and get on the ground. The man did not comply with the officer’s commands. The man was further than the effective distance of the Taser, so the same officer retrieved a stun bag – an alternative less-lethal option. The man responded by running from the area on foot.
The man ran across Bell Road and into another shopping area. Once in the second parking lot the man stopped with the river rock still in his hand. There were several patrons on foot and in vehicles as the officers attempted to negotiate with the man. The officer ordered the man to drop the rock, but the man again, did not comply. The officer called for a stun bag again, but the man ran away before the stun bag could be used.
The foot pursuit continued through the parking lot towards a restaurant. The officer continued to order the man to stop and drop the rock. The man did not. The officer again asked a backup officer for the stun bag. The man temporarily went out of view behind the restaurant but then reappeared in the restaurant’s outdoor patio. The man then lifted the rock in what appears to be a throwing motion and then continued to move toward the restaurant’s side door.
As the man approached the side door, the officer issued commands not to enter the restaurant. The man again did not comply which resulted in the officer-involved shooting.
The man fell inside the restaurant, and officers moved in to detain him and render aid.
After the shooting, officers attempted to restrain the man as he continued to pull his arm away and kick the officers. The officers were able to secure the man and provide aid to include putting on a tourniquet. The river rock was found next to the man. No other citizens or officers were injured during this incident.
The man was taken to a local hospital where he received treatment for his injuries.
The officer involved in this shooting has been with the department for fifteen years and is assigned to the Black Mountain Precinct.
Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete. An internal investigation by the Professional Standard Bureau is currently underway, in addition to a criminal investigation. Once the criminal investigation is complete it will then be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. Public records law required redaction of certain personal identifying information before video is released publicly. That is why you may see some parts of Body Worn Camera (BWC) blurred or covered with a black box. Redacted video is released to local media in conjunction with the release of this Critical Incident Briefing for independent review and publication. Complete, unedited versions of the BWC are released to attorneys and the courts as evidence in a criminal case.
