A man who pointed his pellet gun, painted to look like a lethal weapon, at officers ended getting shot by one and now Phoenix Police detectives are investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred just after 8:00 p.m. on Friday night.
On January 12, 2024, at about 8:00 p.m., officers arrived at a domestic violence call at an apartment near 1400 East Brill Street. The caller stated her cousin’s boyfriend was attempting to enter the apartment by kicking in the front door while holding a knife. Before officers arrived, the subject took off walking into the alley.
Officers began driving into the area and saw a man they believed was the subject. Officers contacted the man and began giving him verbal commands. The man did not follow those orders and started to move away from officers, eventually running away. Officers ran after him. It was at this time two officers discharged their less lethal tools at the man who continued to run away.
Officers ran after the man and continued to give commands while utilizing their less lethal tools. When the man got to the area of 15th Street and Brill Street, the man produced a handgun and pointed it at officers. Officers continued to use less lethal tools as the man’s behavior continued as they made their way through the neighborhood.
At about 8:17 p.m., an officer discharged his duty shotgun at the man, striking him. Simultaneously, an officer and his passenger officer drove a marked patrol Tahoe at the man, striking him and ending the threat.
The man was detained in the area of 14th Street and Brill Street and taken to the hospital with serious injuries. The handgun used by the man was later determined to be a pellet gun made to look like a semi-automatic handgun. The officer who drove the patrol Tahoe at the man was also taken to the hospital for minor injuries.
The investigation revealed the subject who was initially trying to force entry into the apartment was not the same individual who fled from officers and pointed a handgun at them, leading to the critical incident.
The suspect from the initial domestic violence calls is still outstanding.