The man accused of shooting a Phoenix police officer eight times in December 2021 is now edging toward a jury trial after years of legal back‑and‑forth. The victim, then‑rookie Officer Tyler Moldovan, was left in critical condition and has since undergone a long, closely watched recovery.
Prosecutors are preparing to bring the case before a jury after a string of pretrial hearings, according to 12News. Court filings identify the defendant as Essa Kolareh Eugene Williams, whose attorneys have filed multiple motions in recent months as they gear up for trial.
The shooting unfolded on the morning of Dec. 14, 2021, after officers responded to reports of reckless driving near 15th Avenue and Camelback Road and found a man hiding in a patio area. Court documents state that Officer Moldovan was hit roughly eight times, including once in the head. He was placed on life support and later began a slow recovery, as reported by AZFamily…