Tucson Standard

Shortly before 2 a.m., officers from Operations Division East (ODE) responded to the 6900 block of E. Calle Jupiter for reports of an adult-male in crisis. Mental health professionals were on the phone with him in an effort to provide mental health resources. During the phone call, the crisis worker believed that he was armed with a firearm and requested assistance from the Tucson Police Department.

Officers were dispatched to the area and located the male near the intersection of N. Kolb Rd. and E. 29th St. Officers immediately observed that he was holding a firearm. A sergeant with advanced training in crisis intervention and hostage negotiations was able to speak with him on the phone. Attempts were made to de-escalate the situation by establishing communication and directing him to drop the firearm. Despite these efforts, the male did not follow the commands and walked into the street, still holding the firearm. That is when an officer discharged his department-issued rifle, striking the male.

Officers quickly performed first aid by utilizing their individual first aid kits. Personnel from the Tucson Fire Department responded, provided additional treatment, and transported him to a local hospital. The male is currently in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. Thankfully, no officers or other community members were injured in this incident.

The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team has been activated to handle the criminal investigation of this incident. The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will be the lead investigating agency of the team. Members from TPD’s Office of Professional Standards will be conducting a separate, but parallel, administrative investigation to determine if any policy violations occurred. As is standard practice in all officer-involved shootings, all findings will be forwarded to the Pima County Attorney’s Office for review once the investigation is complete.

Original source can be found here.