Phoenix police detectives are investigating an officer involved shooting of a 76-year-old man that occurred Saturday night in an apartment complex parking lot near 14th Street and Bell Road.
Officers responded to a fight call just after 7:10 p.m. at an apartment complex near 14th Street and Bell Road. When officers arrived, they spoke to Dwight Cornwell who wanted to retrieve items from an apartment. There was no answer at the door, so he agreed to leave for the evening.
Around 8:20 p.m. a woman called the police after a man was attempting to break a window to access her apartment at the same complex that officers had left a short time ago. Officers responded and found an armed Cornwell in the apartment complex parking lot. Cornwell pulled a handgun and officers began giving him commands to drop the gun as they used a less-lethal tool. Despite the use of the less-lethal tool, Cornwell raised the gun and fired into the air. This was when the officer involved shooting occurred.
After the shooting, officers moved in and moved the gun away from the armed Cornwell. They provided aide until the fire department arrived and later pronounced him deceased.
The investigation remains active.