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Officer Shoots Armed Man in Mesa Backyard

The East Valley multi‑agency team is conducting an external investigation into the officer‑involved shooting to review the use of force.

Overview

  • Officers responded to repeated reports about a man threatening others and displaying a firearm near Mesa Drive and McKellips Road and engaged the scene Monday evening.
  • While officers were on scene a separate crash involving a police vehicle and an unrelated motorcyclist occurred behind the residence, complicating the response.
  • An officer fired after seeing the man holding a gun over a block or brick backyard wall and officers and a K9 team detained him; the man was later pronounced dead at the scene.
  • Mesa police say no officers were injured, there is no ongoing threat to the community, and the subject had not been publicly identified as of Sept. 1.
  • The Gilbert Police Department’s East Valley Incident/Critical Incident Response Team will lead a multi‑agency review that may include forensics and an autopsy and the case is being reported as part of a larger rise in officer‑involved shootings in Arizona this year.