The Phoenix Police Department has issued a new Critical Incident Briefing concerning an officer-involved shooting that took place on September 24, near 31st Avenue and Bethany Home Road. The incident, which is now under investigation, escalated from a domestic violence situation that involved a man holding a toddler hostage with a machete. The briefing, replete with body cam footage and a detailed account of the events, provides insight into the tense moments that led to the use of lethal force by the police.
According to the official report from the Phoenix Police, the conflict began when a complainant reached out via text to 911, expressing that their brother-in-law was threatening to harm anyone who attempted to take the baby. The woman who was outside during the officers’ arrival informed them that her brother remained in the home along with her husband and the child. Officers attempted non-lethal means to coax the man out, firing two projectiles from a 40mm Launcher, which proved ineffective.
As the situation developed, the man revealed that he had the child with him after officers heard crying from within the premises. Despite orders to exit the house, the man stayed put on the couch with the toddler and the machete. It was then that an officer discharged his rifle, striking the individual. Following the shooting, the toddler was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital, while the man was booked on multiple felony charges post-recovery…