Bodycam: Phoenix Cops Stunned When Armed Man Answers Door in Welfare Check

TL;DR

Phoenix officers responding to a welfare check exchanged gunfire with a homeowner after he drew a handgun when asked to show his hands. The January 11 incident ended with the homeowner found dead, while a separate January 12 shooting injured a man carrying a pellet gun resembling a semi-automatic. Read on for the sequence of events, weapons involved, and investigation details.

Transcript

got a shotgun we're going to have to take him out you ready put your hands up put your hands right conf back to back officer involves shootings in Phoenix just one day apart both shootings caught on body cam put your hands up your hands right move the first happened on January 11th when a welfare call came in to Phoenix PD a woman reported her moth... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤙 Officer-involved shootings can occur in various scenarios, even during routine welfare checks or domestic violence calls.
• 🥺 Body cameras play a crucial role in capturing the events leading up to and during officer-involved shootings, providing a comprehensive record of the incidents.
• 💬 The use of less-lethal options, such as pepper balls and foam balls, is attempted before resorting to lethal force.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why did Phoenix police shoot an armed homeowner during a welfare check?

Officers responded after a caller said the homeowner had not been seen for days and water was flooding from his house. When an officer repeatedly asked to see his hands, the homeowner drew a gun, and he and a second officer exchanged gunfire.

Q: What prompted the January 11 welfare check in Phoenix?

A woman reported that her mother’s neighbor had not been seen for about a week. She also said water was running out of his house and that nobody answered when her mother knocked.

Q: What happened to the homeowner after the gunfire?

Additional officers arrived and found the homeowner dead inside the house. Officials recovered a handgun and said the homeowner had fired multiple rounds at the responding officers.

Q: What led police to respond on January 12?

Phoenix officers received a domestic violence emergency call about a man banging on an apartment door with a knife. When officers arrived, that suspect had already left, and they encountered another man nearby who refused commands to stop.

Q: What less-lethal options did officers use during the January 12 encounter?

Officers fired pepper balls and 40 mm foam balls toward the man to slow him down. He continued walking despite those measures and repeated commands to stop and get on the ground.

Q: Why did the lieutenant fire at the man in the second incident?

Security video captured the man pointing what appeared to be a gun at officers. After arriving and confirming the suspect’s identity with other officers, the lieutenant retrieved a shotgun from his vehicle and fired.

Q: Was the gun in the January 12 shooting a firearm?

Investigators determined that it was a pellet gun made to look like a semi-automatic. The man was taken to the hospital with a severe injury after the shooting.

Q: Was the injured man the domestic violence suspect police originally sought?

No. Investigators determined that the injured man was not the person involved in the earlier domestic violence situation; the original suspect was later tracked down and booked. Both officer-involved shootings remained under investigation and were to be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review when completed.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the first incident, officers responded to a welfare call and approached a homeowner whose house was flooding. The homeowner drew a gun, leading to an exchange of gunfire, resulting in the homeowner's death.

• In the second incident, officers responded to a domestic violence call and encountered a suspect with a knife. Despite using less-lethal options, the suspect pointed a gun at officers, prompting a lieutenant to open fire, injuring the suspect.