On the morning of February 12, a police incident in Phoenix escalated into an officer-involved shooting following a routine investigation related to drug activities. The Phoenix Police Department has recently released a Critical Incident Briefing video to detail the occurrences leading up to the confrontation and its aftermath. According to the official briefing posted by the Phoenix Police Department, the incident unfolded when officers from the Cactus Park Precinct tried to make contact with two men in a white SUV suspected of conducting drug sales.
As officers, after having strategically set up their vehicles, began to approach, the men in the SUV attempted to quickly leave the scene. In the process, the vehicle hit two marked patrol cars and drove toward an officer, prompting two officers to discharge their weapons. The SUV managed to escape the area initially, leading officers on a high-speed chase. Ultimately, the pursuit led to a collision, which allowed police to apprehend the driver as the passenger fled on foot into an apartment complex.
In a subsequent search, police found the passenger within the complex. A less-lethal 37mm launcher was deployed by members of the Tactical Support Bureau to secure his compliance. As stated in the briefing, “A 37mm launcher fires a less-lethal direct impact baton which is designed to deliver pain compliance.” Following arrests, it was determined both the driver and passenger had sustained non-fatal gunshot wounds, received treatment at a local hospital, and were then charged with multiple offenses connected to the incident…