Critical Incident Briefing: September 30, 2020 44th St & Camelback Officer-Involved Shooting In Phoenix

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

October 14, 2020

PolicePolice

The Phoenix Police Department released a Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) video that includes audio, visuals and information related to an officer-involved shooting which occurred on September 30, 2020 at approximately 6:23 p.m.

A Phoenix Police Sergeant responded to multiple 911 calls of a man assaulting people and causing damage to property in the area of 44th Street & Camelback Road. The suspect was later identified as 38-year-old Khambrel Dante Sharp.

Upon arrival, the sergeant could see that Sharp was armed with an edged weapon. Sharp ignored commands to drop the weapon and ran from the sergeant. After a short foot pursuit, she located him lying down in a drainage ditch. The sergeant attempted to de-escalate the situation before Sharp moved toward her with the weapon in hand. At that time, she fired her service weapon.

Backup officers arrived on scene immediately after the shooting and provided first aid to Sharp. Phoenix Fire Department personnel transported him to a local hospital for treatment of his non-life-threatening injuries.

The weapon was recovered and determined to be a wooden handled pruning saw. No officers or other community members were injured in this incident.

The sergeant involved in this shooting is in the Patrol Division of the Phoenix Police Department, assigned to the Mountain View Precinct. She has been with the department for 16 years.

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 see some parts of Body Worn Camera (BWC) blurred or covered with a black box. Unedited, 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.

Please be advised, the attached video may contain strong language as well as graphic images which may be disturbing to some people. Viewer discretion is advised.

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