City Of Phoenix: Critical Incident Briefing: June 29, 2021 9th Ave & Turney

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

July 13, 2021 12:00 AM

WARNING: The attached video may contain strong language as well as graphic
images which may be disturbing to some people. Viewer discretion is advised. 

The Phoenix Police Department released a Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) video that
includes audio, visuals and information related to an officer-involved shooting (OIS)
which occurred on June 29, 2021, in the area of 9th Avenue and Turney Avenue.
This incident started at approximately 10:15 p.m. when officers were dispatched to an
activation of a burglar alarm at a residence. The first two officers arrived and walked up
to the residence at about 10:15 p.m. Both officers could hear the burglar alarm as they
approached the front door. 

One officer walked to the east side of the house and looked for anything suspicious
which would indicate that someone had broken in. The second officer walked up to the
front door and knocked. He could see through the security door that the front door was
open. He then checked the knob of the security door and the security door was
unlocked. The officer then opened both doors and announced his presence. Once the
doors were opened both officers continued to use their flashlights and knock and
announce their presence. 

Almost 8 minutes after they arrived, the officer asked dispatch to find a telephone
number and make an attempt to reach the homeowner. The dispatcher was
unsuccessful in contacting the homeowner. The officer then told his partner that he was
going to try to contact a neighbor to gather any other information about the residents.
The neighbors did not answer. 

Twelve minutes into the call, the two officers requested an additional officer as they
weighed their decision to enter the residence. The third officer arrived about 4 minutes
later. The third officer is briefed on what was known at the time. He then knocked and
announced his presence loudly. 

Almost 20 minutes into the call, officers were voicing their concerns about entering the
residence and talked through their options when they saw a man walk into the front
room from a back hallway. 

The man was armed with a gun and pointed the gun at officers as he walked toward the
front door. Officers yelled out to each other about the gun and all three officers
attempted to find cover. The man walked to the front door and shot at the officers. 

Two of the three officers shot back at the man striking him. The man walked back into
his residence and officers told him to come out unarmed. Once he came out of the
home, officers walked up to the man and provided first aid. A tourniquet was placed on
the man’s leg and an officer drove him to Phoenix Fire personnel in a police Tahoe. 

Officers later learned that the man was the homeowner. He was identified as 77-yearold, Ernest Kaufmann. He was transported to a nearby hospital where he was treated
over a number of days for non-life-threatening injuries. He has been released and could
face aggravated assault charges pending review by the Maricopa County Attorney’s
office. 

The weapon believed to have been used was located inside of the residence. 

The officers involved in this shooting are assigned to the Mountain View Precinct, Patrol
Division and they both have more than 2 years of service. 

There were no injuries to officers or any other community members. 

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. 

Public records law required redaction of certain personal identifying information before
video is released publicly. This is why you may see some parts of Body Worn Camera
(BWC) blurred or covered with a black box. Redacted video is released to local media in
conjunction with the release of this Critical Incident Briefing for independent review and
publication. Complete, unedited versions of the BWC are released to attorneys and the
courts as evidence in a criminal case.​

Related Social Media Hashtags and Handles: @PhoenixPolice #PhoenixPolice

This press release was produced by City of Phoenix. The views expressed here are the author’s own.