Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Officers Involved in Three Shootings over Weekend

Phoenix detectives continued Monday to investigate a series of weekend officer-involved shootings that left three people hospitalized.

In one of the incidents, officers shot a 16-year-old boy after they said he ignored warnings to stop as he drove a stolen vehicle toward them.

Six officers are on routine paid administrative leave in the wake of the three shootings, the latest of which involved three officers who fired on a man in the doorway of his north Phoenix apartment after he raised a firearm, police officials said.

The Sunday incident at Presidio North Apartments near 11th Avenue and Bell Road began after neighbors told police 45-year-old William Ray Griffin made threats with a gun after they had asked him to turn down his music around 10 p.m. As Griffin lay wounded on the ground from multiple gunshot wounds, he told officers he "had mental illness and had been drinking," according to Phoenix police Sgt. Tommy Thompson.

Griffin was taken to a nearby hospital in critical condition, but authorities said his injuries were not considered life-threatening.

Phoenix police said each of three officers from the 11th Avenue shooting has less than two years of experience. The department did not release their names.

Thompson said the three officers, and three other officers from two separate shootings on Saturday, were faced with the most difficult decision a police officer ever has to make - whether to use deadly force.

Each of the officer's actions is under review by Phoenix police homicide detectives, who commonly review officer- involved shootings, in addition to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. Criminal investigations are also pending.

"As police officers, every day we have the potential to have our lives in danger," Thompson said. "That's part of the business of being a police officer. We know at any time we can be in a situation where we have to make a life-or-death decision in a matter of seconds."

On Saturday, a 16-year-old boy was shot in the chest about 10 p.m. after he reportedly failed to heed police commands to stop driving a stolen vehicle toward officers at an automobile-auction yard in the 3400 block of South 48th Street.

The two officers, Bryant Clover and Todd Guilford, suffered minor injuries after firing at the vehicle.

The teen was listed in critical condition at Maricopa Medical Center on Sunday night. However, police and hospital officials could not confirm his condition Monday.

The teen and his stepfather, Robert Morales, 48, were arrested at the scene of the shooting on suspicion of attempted theft and possession of burglary tools, police said. The teen was also wanted on an outstanding felony auto theft warrant, according to Phoenix police.

Morales had served a short prison term for possession of dangerous drugs before gaining freedom in 2007, court records indicate.

Earlier on Saturday, 22-year-old Francisco Soto was shot in the 16400 block of North 28th Street at 2 a.m. after officers responded to a shooting call.

Officer Kennard Brown fired on Soto after he reportedly stepped out of a vehicle and pointed a gun toward officers. Soto's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

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