Officials say an officer fired after the man raised a handgun during a confrontation just before noon Sunday.
PHOENIX, AZ — A man died Sunday after a Phoenix police officer shot him in a north Phoenix neighborhood late Sunday morning near 7th Avenue and Beardsley Road, north of Loop 101, according to authorities.
Police said they were called shortly before noon about a man walking in the area with a gun. Officers canvassed the neighborhood and one officer found the man. Investigators said the officer ordered him to drop the weapon, and the man advanced while raising a handgun. The officer fired, striking the man, who was taken to a hospital and later pronounced dead. No officers were hurt. The Arizona Department of Public Safety opened an outside investigation, and Phoenix police said additional details — including video and reports — are expected in the coming days. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner will identify the man once next of kin are notified.
Neighbors described a quiet block jolted by a fast-moving police response and a string of sharp pops. “Literally, I hear like pop, pop, pop, like two or three. It didn’t even sound like a gunshot; it sounded like firecrackers,” said Jose Gonzales, who lives nearby. Sgt. Rob Scherer, a Phoenix Police Department spokesperson, said the officer confronted the man after the canvass and issued commands to drop the gun. “The man did not comply and actually advanced toward the officer and raised his handgun in the direction of the officer,” Scherer said. Officers provided medical aid until fire crews arrived. Streets around 7th Avenue and Beardsley were restricted as detectives processed the scene and collected shell casings, photographs and body-worn camera timestamps.
Scherer said investigators were still working to determine the man’s actions leading up to the confrontation. “We don’t have that precursor element of a crime in this; it was just a man out with a handgun, so we do want to get to that why,” he said. Police said preliminary information indicates the man lived in the neighborhood. The department did not immediately release the officer’s name, years of service, or the number of shots fired. Paramedics transported the man after officers applied tourniquets and chest seals, according to police. Detectives interviewed several residents and asked nearby homes with security systems to check for recordings that might show the man’s movements before the encounter. The exact time of the first 911 call and the length of the canvass have not been released.
The shooting marks at least the 42nd officer-involved shooting reported in Maricopa County this year and roughly the 80th statewide, according to preliminary tallies cited by local officials. Phoenix police policy requires a parallel internal review whenever force results in death or serious injury, and the department typically releases a critical incident video with edited body-worn camera footage within about two weeks of a fatal incident. The DPS criminal investigation will be forwarded to prosecutors for review once complete. In recent years, Phoenix leaders have emphasized the release of timelines, audio and images from scenes like Sunday’s to explain investigative steps and evidentiary limits while the case is open.
Residents said Sunday’s response brought a surge of squad cars and yellow tape across residential cul-de-sacs as officers went door to door. One neighbor who asked not to be identified said the area is “a very nice community” and called the incident unusual. Others watched from driveways as detectives measured distances near the curb line and a patch of gravel landscaping. “I just heard the cops say, ‘he’s over here’ or ‘gun’ or something like that,” Gonzales said. He added that the first sounds he heard were several quick pops followed by sirens. By late afternoon, crime scene technicians remained on the block, and patrol units continued to keep traffic away from several entrances by 7th Avenue and Beardsley Road.
Police said the officer who fired has been placed on standard administrative leave while the investigations proceed. DPS will take the lead on the criminal inquiry, interviewing the officer, canvassing the neighborhood for video, and reviewing dispatch logs, radio traffic, and body-worn camera files. Phoenix police will conduct a separate administrative review to determine whether policies were followed. The Medical Examiner will perform an autopsy to determine cause and manner of death and will release the man’s identity after notifying relatives. Officials said more information, including the officer’s name and service time, could be released when the critical incident briefing is published, which Phoenix police anticipate within two weeks. Any prosecutorial decisions will come after DPS submits findings to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
As dusk neared, officers began removing tape and reopening parts of the neighborhood while others remained to speak with residents who had questions about the afternoon’s events. Utility trucks turned on floodlights near the main intersection as detectives finished photographing evidence markers. A few children rode bicycles on the opposite side of the block while traffic on the Loop 101 frontage road moved normally again. “This is a very nice community and we’ve had no problems here whatsoever,” a neighbor said. “Seeing all this, it’s shocking.” Police said the department expects to gather additional statements and surveillance clips from homes and doorbell cameras as they continue to piece together the timeline.
As of Sunday evening, Phoenix police said the man who was shot had died at a hospital and no officers were injured. DPS is leading the criminal investigation, and Phoenix police plan to release a critical incident video within about two weeks, with the Medical Examiner expected to identify the man after family notifications.
Author note: Last updated December 7, 2025.