The Arizona Department of Public Safety announced on Mar. 11 that its Major Incident Division is investigating an officer-involved shooting that occurred on February 27 involving state troopers and Phoenix Police Department officers.
The incident began at approximately 9:02 p.m. when a trooper attempted to stop a Chevrolet sedan for a traffic violation. The driver, identified as Jesus A. Gonzalez Flores, age 41, did not yield, leading to a pursuit. Officers used a Grappler device to bring the vehicle to a stop on the southbound frontage road west of 19th Avenue.
According to the department, Flores was noncompliant with officers’ commands during the encounter. Officers discharged their firearms and struck Flores, who was pronounced deceased at the scene. A machete was later found under the passenger seat of the vehicle.
During the incident, one Phoenix Police officer and one state trooper were impacted by a vehicle as Flores repeatedly tried to break free from the Grappler’s tether. A passenger in the car complied with officers and was released after being interviewed.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said its Major Incident Division is conducting an investigation into the circumstances surrounding this event.
