PHX Reporter

The Phoenix Police Department released a Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) video that includes audio, visuals and information related to an officer-involved shooting (OIS) which occurred on June 19th, 2023, in the area of 35th Drive and Holly Street.       

This incident began when Phoenix Police responded to a call of a Department of Public Safety Trooper shot during a traffic stop.  

The trooper pulled over a car near 21st Avenue and Thomas Road. As he walked up to the car the driver turned around and fired a gun out of the open driver side window at the trooper. The trooper was struck by gunfire and put out information over the police radio. The suspect drove off in the car southbound on 21st Avenue.        

The trooper was transported to the hospital with a gunshot wound while Phoenix officers responded to help search for the suspect vehicle.  

A Phoenix officer spotted the suspect vehicle in a neighborhood near 27th Avenue and Roosevelt Street.  

The police helicopter followed the car and relayed its location to officers on the ground. The car drove into another neighborhood near 35th Avenue and McDowell Road.  

While officers were saturating the neighborhood, the suspect vehicle stopped in the street near 35th Drive and Holly Street. The driver's side door opened, and an officer gave commands for the suspect to get out of the car. The suspect fired a gun at officers and an officer returned fire with his rifle. The officers were not struck by gunfire.

After the shooting, the car drove away from officers northbound on 35th Drive. An officer in the area was stopped at 36th Avenue and Encanto Boulevard. The suspect drove past the officer northbound on 36th Avenue and fired a gun at the officer, striking his patrol vehicle.  

That officer was transported to the hospital with injuries he got from flying debris. The patrol vehicle was struck on the driver's side front quarter panel and front windshield.    

After that shooting, the suspect continued to drive north on 36th Avenue until he collided into a block wall near 36th Avenue and Wilshire Drive.  

Officers approached the vehicle and found the suspect inside the car deceased from a gunshot wound.

A gun was found on the driver's side floorboard.

No other community members were injured during this incident.

The officer who fired his rifle during this incident is assigned to the Maryvale Estrella Mountain Precinct and has approximately three years of service with the department.

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. This 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.

Original source can be found here.