01/06/2026 Critical Incident Briefing
This is the “Critical Incident Briefing” of an officer involved shooting that took place on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. The incident happened near 29th Avenue and McDowell Avenue in Phoenix. Officers were actively searching the area for a suspect involved in a domestic violence related incident. The suspect, who was last seen in a stolen vehicle, was tracked into the area using a license plate reader. As officers approached the suspect, the man pulled and pointed a handgun towards officers. Officers, perceiving a threat, fired several shots towards the suspect fatally injuring him.
There are two separate reviews of an officer involved shooting: an internal review and a criminal review. Once those individual reports are finalized, those reports will be sent to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office (MCAO) for further review. Once they complete their review, MCAO will send their finding back to the Glendale Police Department and a “Response to Resistance Board” is convened. The board is made up of subject matter experts and members of our community. Their purpose is to determine whether the use of force was within policy. Upon completion of both reviews the information is sent to the chain of command and those findings will be made available once they are complete.
Please note, this process may take several months or longer to complete.