Phoenix Police officials release additional details surrounding officer involved shooting that injured suspect
(Courtesy: Phoenix Police Department)
PHOENIX - On Oct. 14, Phoenix Police officials released body camera video related to a police shooting that took place on Sept. 30.
In a statement released on Oct. 14, Phoenix Police officials say the shooting happened in the area of 44th Street and Camelback Road, and it began with a police sergeant responding to multiple 911 calls of a man assaulting people and causing damage to property.
"I'm walking outside, my neighbor's outside, walking her dog, and this man came up and tried to attack my neighbor with her dog," a 911 caller said, in a phone conversation recording released by Phoenix Police.
"Did he physically touch her," the 911 dispatcher was heard asking.
"Yes. Touched her. He was trying to get into her house, with her."
When the sergeant arrived, the suspect, identified by police as 38-year-old Khambrel Dante Sharp, was seen armed with what was described as an edge weapon.
"Sharp ignored commands to drop the weapon and ran from the sergeant," read a portion of the statement. "After a short foot pursuit, she located him lying down in a drainage ditch."
According to police officials, the sergeant tried to de-escalate the situation.
"Hey man, what I need you to do is to just drop that knife," the police sergeant was heard saying, in a portion of the body camera video released by police.
Sharp, however, was seen in the video moving towards the sergeant.
"You're gonna want to stay down there. Don't come up here," the sergeant was heard saying, moments before she fired on Sharp.
In the video, the sergeant was seen firing two shots at Sharp. Sharp was then heard screaming.
"Backup officers who arrived on scene shortly after the shooting provided first aid to Sharp," Phoenix Police Sergeant Tommy Thompson said, in the Critical Incident Briefing video posted to the department's unverified YouTube page. "He was transported to a local hospital by Phoenix Fire Department personnel for treatment of his non-life threatening injuries."
As for the weapon, Phoenix Police officials say it was recovered and determined to be a wooden-handled pruning saw.
"No other officers or community members were injured," according to Sgt. Thompson, in the video.
The sergeant involved in the shooting was identified as a 16-year veteran of the Phoenix Police force.
"Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete. An internal investigation by the Professional Standard Bureau is currently underway, in addition to a criminal investigation. Once the criminal investigation is complete it will then be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office," a portion of a statement released by Phoenix Police read.
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