Critical Incident Briefing - March 15, 2026 - 4300 W Camelback Rd

WARNING: The attached video may contain strong language and graphic images that may be disturbing to some viewers. Viewer discretion is advised.

The Phoenix Police Department has released a Critical Incident Briefing video related to an officer-involved shooting from March 15, 2026.

Officers responded to an apartment around 43^rd Avenue and Camelback Road just after 6 a.m. for reports of a fight. The 911 caller said there was a dispute going on and could hear a man yelling, a young child crying and that there was a woman inside the house.

When the first officer arrived on scene, they saw a young child in the second-story window crying. As additional officers arrived, they made contact with an adult woman in the backyard who was behind a locked wrought-iron gate, and she said the man inside the apartment had the key. The young child came downstairs and made contact with the officers.

The officers and the woman heard the man rack a gun, at which point the officers then used a pry tool to break the gate open and remove the woman and child to safety.

Officers gave the man, who was still inside the apartment, verbal commands to drop the gun, but he did not comply.

Officers moved back and adjusted their vehicles to create distance and cover while they waited for additional resources to arrive on scene. One officer deployed a drone to maintain a visual of the apartment door. The man was seen opening the door and pointing a gun at the drone, and it was later found that the man shot the drone.

As they waited for resources to arrive, officers contacted neighboring residences to evacuate community members from the area, while one officer called the man on the phone to negotiate with him.

While officers were waiting for resources, several shots were heard coming from the apartment. This is when the officer-involved shooting occurred.

The department’s Special Assignments Unit arrived on scene, breached a window to the apartment and inserted two drones. The drone operator located the man upstairs, unresponsive, next to two long guns. Officers made entry into the apartment and located the man in critical condition.

The Phoenix Fire Department arrived on scene and pronounced the man deceased.

The officer involved in this shooting is assigned to the Cactus Park Precinct and has approximately three years of service with the department.

This incident is the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by the Major Incident Division of the Arizona Department of Public Safety and will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. It is also the subject of an administrative investigation being conducted by the Phoenix Police Department.

Conclusions about whether the actions of the officer are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete.