11
1
This incident began in the area of Rural Road and Lakeshore Drive in Tempe, Arizona, when officers from the Phoenix Police Tactical Support Bureau were conducting surveillance in the area. The officers were attempting to locate a man who was wanted for shooting and wounding a Scottsdale Police sergeant the day prior in Phoenix.
During the surveillance, the man was seen leaving an apartment and walking into a commercial business parking lot. Officers moved towards the man, gave him several commands to show his hands and get on the ground. The man did not respond. Officers used a less-lethal tool, known as an Arwen, to get the man to comply. An Arwen is a 37 mm launcher that fires a less-lethal direct impact baton which is designed to deliver pain compliance. This tool is only used by members of the Special Assignments Unit.
After the officers used then Arwen, the man then pulled out a firearm and that was when the officer-involved shooting occurred.
The firearm used by the man was recovered on scene.
After the shooting, the man was treated by officers until the Phoenix Fire Department arrived. The man was rushed to the hospital, where he died from his injuries. There were no injuries to officers or any other community members.
The sergeant involved in this shooting has been with the department for 16 1/2 years and is assigned to the Tactical Support Bureau.
The other 2 officers involved in this shooting have been with the department for 15 and 14 years respectively and are assigned to the Tactical Support Bureau.
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.