Cowboy culture and ‘stand your ground’ laws clash in Arizona

PHOENIX – A knock on Ryan Whitaker’s door reverberated through his apartment at approximately 10:52 p.m on May 21, 2020, while he was playing video games on the couch with his girlfriend. Less than a minute later, his body collapsed to the tile floor of his entryway, following multiple shots from a Phoenix police officer.

An upstairs neighbor had called 911 to report a “domestic dispute” coming from Whitaker’s apartment. Shortly after, the neighbor called again and Officers John Ferragamo and Jeff Cooke responded. They approached the apartment through a dimly lit hallway and knocked on the door.

Whitaker opened the door shirtless and stepped out to confront whoever knocked…

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