A domestic disturbance call in west Phoenix escalated into a lengthy armed standoff Sunday morning that ended with the suspect dead after exchanging gunfire with officers.
Police responded around 6 a.m. to a reported fight near 43rd Avenue and Camelback Road. When officers arrived, they found a woman and young child trapped behind a locked wrought-iron gate in the apartment complex’s backyard. Using a Halligan tool — a heavy-duty prying instrument common in both law enforcement and firefighting — officers forced open the gate and got both to safety.
As officers worked to clear the scene, they spotted the male suspect inside the apartment holding a shotgun and ordered him to disarm. He refused. What followed was a standoff that stretched more than an hour, during which the suspect fired multiple rounds — including one that struck and disabled a police drone being used to monitor the situation.
Officers returned fire. A second drone, deployed by the department’s Special Assignments Unit, was used to locate the suspect inside the unit after the shooting. Detectives entered the apartment and found him in critical condition. He was later pronounced dead by Phoenix Fire Department personnel.
Tenants in the surrounding complex were notified and evacuated as a precaution during the standoff. No residents or law enforcement officers were injured.
Investigators said the suspect and the woman were in a dating relationship. The Arizona Department of Public Safety will conduct an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting, as is standard procedure in such cases.
