A Phoenix police officer who fatally shot an unarmed homeowner earlier this year will not face criminal charges, according to a decision announced Thursday by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said the determination followed a review of evidence under the office’s standard of whether a conviction would be reasonably likely at trial. Based on that threshold, prosecutors declined to move forward with charges against Officer Jason Valenzuela.
The shooting occurred on Jan. 26 at a residence in west Phoenix, where 36-year-old Christian Diaz Rendon had reportedly disarmed an individual before police arrived. Despite no longer posing a threat, Rendon was shot by responding officers, according to video evidence later released.
Phoenix Police Chief Matt Giordano acknowledged in February that the department had mistakenly killed Rendon, a rare public admission that intensified scrutiny of the incident.
Footage from body cameras and home surveillance showed that Rendon was unarmed when officers made contact. The visuals became central to public debate, with the victim’s family calling for criminal accountability and transparency in the investigation.
The case was reviewed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, which conducted an independent investigation into the shooting. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Police Department has indicated that an internal administrative review remains ongoing, a process that could still result in departmental discipline even without criminal charges.
The decision not to prosecute is likely to fuel continued discussion around police use of force and the legal standards governing such cases, particularly when fatal errors occur during rapidly evolving incidents.
