Phoenix, Arizona: Phoenix police have released bodycam footage of a shooting last month, showing the chaotic seconds that ended with an officer firing into a residence and fatally striking a homeowner who police later said was not the suspect described in the original 911 calls. The incident occurred on January 26 near 7500 West Lower Buckeye Road, after dispatch received multiple reports of an active shooter.
Phoenix police said the man who was killed had disarmed the person who fired shots at the home and family members and was restraining him when officers arrived.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, multiple 911 calls reported a man shooting at a house, with callers describing children inside the home and dispatchers hearing gunfire during the calls. Phoenix police said that information was relayed to responding officers as they moved toward the scene.
The department’s critical incident briefing states that when the first officer arrived, community members pointed him toward a nearby home, telling him somebody was shooting and children were inside. Phoenix police said the officer approached an open front door and reported seeing a struggle inside the residence.
Phoenix police said the officer ordered the men involved in the struggle to show their hands, but neither fully complied. The department said that is when the officer involved shooting occurred.
Phoenix police said officers entered the home and found two men with gunshot wounds. One man was pronounced dead at the scene, and another was transported to a hospital with a non-life-threatening injury. Phoenix police also reported a third man was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries not related to gunfire.
Phoenix police said that after the initial response, investigators determined the man who was fatally shot was not the subject of the original call. The department said he had disarmed the individual who fired shots at the home and other family members.
The officer involved was described by Phoenix police as assigned to the Maryvale Estrella Mountain Precinct and as having approximately 5 years of service. Phoenix police have not publicly identified the officer in their newsroom briefing.
The suspected home invasion shooter, Edgar Ledezma Garcia, has been indicted on multiple felony counts, including first-degree murder, according to FOX 10 Phoenix, which reported the case is being prosecuted under Arizona’s felony murder law because a death occurred during the commission of a dangerous felony.
Arizona’s Family reported, based on court documents, that the suspect arrived at the home and the situation escalated into gunfire and a forced entry before the struggle inside the residence.
Phoenix police said the criminal investigation is being conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety Major Incident Division and will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. The department also said it will conduct an administrative investigation to determine whether the officer’s actions were within policy, and that conclusions will not be made until the investigation is complete.
