Phoenix police release bodycam video showing projectile shot at shooting suspect
By: Phoenix police have released body camera footage of a call from earlier this month when a shooting suspect is struck by a projectile shot by a responding officer.
A critical incident video released by police shows bodycam of a May 14 response to a call about gunfire at a home in the area of 39th Avenue and Cactus Road. In addition to bodycam footage, the police-edited video is narrated by a police spokesperson, features dispatch calls and is interspliced with demonstrations of officer equipment.
A caller on the video tells a dispatcher there have been shots heard in the neighborhood for the past two days, and suspected it was her son as the source and that he was currently firing shots. The woman can be heard on the call as she requests officers, but says her son has not threatened anyone.
According to Phoenix police spokeswoman Sgt. Melissa Soliz, two officers approached the home.
Bodycam footage shows where officers are on the front porch of a house and a woman, and the male shooting suspect, come to the door, whereupon the sound of three shots and flashes of what appears to be gunfire are seen hitting the floor inside the house. At that point, the footage shows officers retreat to the street as one of them aims a weapon in the direction of the house and orders the occupants to come out with empty hands raised.
At this point in the video, the apparent sound of gunfire captured by the bodycam is heard at least three times more. On the bodycam footage, the woman is heard wailing from inside the house and an officer is heard radioing for additional units.
Soliz says the suspect walks out of the house and raises a gun at the officers.
An officer is heard on bodycam shouting at the suspect to raise his hand.
Soliz explains officers pulled out a "less-lethal" weapon, identified as a 40 mm launcher that discharges foam projectiles. The launcher is handled by specially trained officers "to deescalate situations by the use of pain compliance," Soliz say in the video. Soliz notes officers used it on the suspect, leading him to retreat back inside the house.
An officer is again heard on bodycam shouting for the suspect to come out of the house.
"If you need help, we need you to come to us. This is the Phoenix Police Department," an officer is heard shouting on bodycam, as he or another officer soon after shouts, "Drop the gun."
Officers are then heard ordering for the gun to be thrown out of the house. The suspect is seen in bodycam footage as he appears to be standing at the doorway or immediately outside of it under glaring front porch lights. He appears to have his hands lifted as officers order him to raise them before he is apparently struck by a projectile.
Soliz then goes on to say the suspect was taken into custody unarmed and was not injured by police gunfire. He was booked and charged with aggravated assault, misconduct involving weapons and endangerment, according to Soliz.
There were no other injuries. Soliz added. The video does not mention what, if any, injuries were incurred by the suspect. The suspect has not been identified by police, and the video blurred out his face.