A New Year’s Day confrontation in Chandler ended in tragedy when police fatally shot a man who allegedly threatened to harm his young daughter during a tense standoff, authorities said.
The Chandler Police Department identified the man as 40-year-old Gerald Lee Philpot Jr. According to investigators, Philpot called police around 5:45 p.m. on Thursday, making alarming statements that he intended to harm his 7-year-old daughter, who was in the car with him at the time.
A crisis negotiator was immediately brought onto the call in an effort to calm the situation, but police said Philpot continued making threats toward the child. Officers soon located his vehicle near McQueen Road and Chandler Boulevard and conducted a traffic stop.
Police urged Philpot to release his daughter from the vehicle, but officials say he refused and told officers he was armed with a blade. When Philpot allegedly made movements that appeared to endanger the child, two officers opened fire to protect her, according to the department.
Officers quickly removed the girl from the car and attempted life-saving measures on Philpot, who was later pronounced dead at the scene. Investigators recovered a knife from inside the vehicle. The child was unharmed and reunited with her mother.
No officers were injured during the incident. The Mesa Police Department is leading the investigation as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, which reviews police-involved shootings in the region.
