Overview
- Diaz Rendon’s relatives, who rallied Thursday outside Phoenix City Hall, asked Attorney General Kris Mayes to pursue charges against Officer Jason Valenzuela.
- Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell declined charges on April 30, saying Valenzuela reasonably believed others were in danger, and her office said it holds jurisdiction and would review new evidence if it emerges.
- Christian Diaz Rendon, 36, had tackled suspected intruder Edgar Ledezma Garcia during a Jan. 26 home invasion when Valenzuela fired through an open door, striking Diaz as body-camera video later showed.
- The family signaled a civil lawsuit after filing a $25 million notice of claim in February, and Valenzuela remains on administrative duty during an internal Phoenix police investigation.
- Garcia is indicted on multiple felonies, including first-degree murder under Arizona’s felony-murder law, which treats a death during a dangerous felony as murder, a step the family says prosecutors should not pursue.