PHOENIX — The former Phoenix police officer who fired the shots that killed 34-year-old Ali Osman in 2022 is now suing the city and its former interim police chief, alleging wrongful termination and uneven disciplinary actions within the department.
Jesse Johnson, who served as a patrol officer with the Phoenix Police Department, filed a federal lawsuit last week against the City of Phoenix and former Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan. Johnson was terminated in April 2024 — a year and a half after the September 2022 shooting that resulted in Osman’s death.
Osman was reportedly throwing rocks at cars near 19th and Glendale avenues when officers responded to the scene on September 24, 2022. According to police accounts and newly filed court documents, Osman also began hurling rocks at the officers. One officer described the rocks as large and dangerous, saying one appeared “like it was going to hit me in the head… possibly to knock me out or kill me.” Another rock reportedly pierced the hood of a police SUV, while another shattered a spotlight…