On Thursday, July 13, at approximately noon, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s deputy shot a man he says was attacking him. The incident occurred in the middle of a busy retail plaza in the West Valley near Dysart Road and McDowell Road in Goodyear.
The deputy was uninjured and no other civilians were hurt. The attacker was wounded and transported to the hospital in serious condition.
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), the deputy was “in a fully marked vehicle was in the retail plaza getting lunch when he was rear-ended by a passenger vehicle. The deputy excited his vehicle to check on the driver who had rear-ended him when he was confronted by the driver. The deputy observed the male (driver) had a knife in his hand and was moving towards him. The deputy gave commands to drop the knife but the male continued towards the deputy. The deputy used lethal force, firing his service weapon at the suspect stopping the threat.”
The driver was the sole occupant of the vehicle at the time of the shooting. Detectives have gathered and spoke to witnesses who were in the area and witnessed the incident.
According to Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Sergeant Joaquin Enriquez, “The deputy was wearing a body camera but the camera was not activated. The deputy was checking on the driver after the accident occurred. That quickly escalated to the shooting and the camera was not activated.”