Phoenix Police Commander Killed, Two Officers Injured In Shooting

Press release from the City of Phoenix:

March 30, 2020

The Phoenix Police Department is mourning the loss of a highly decorated leader. Commander Greg Carnicle was shot and killed while working a domestic fight call.

On Sunday afternoon, March 29, Commander Carnicle and two other officers were called to the area of Pinnacle Peak and 40th Drive in North Phoenix. The caller advised that one of the roommates was acting peculiar and the other roommates wanted him to leave.

When the officers arrived on scene, they were directed to 22-year-old Jacob Emry Mcilveen. As the officers talked with McIlveen, he remained calm. The officers told him he would have to leave and helped him remove some of his property. At some point, while they were taking his property outside, McIlveen slammed the front door on the officers.

Additional officers went back inside the house to contact Mcilveen once again. They could not see him; however they were able to talk to him while he remained upstairs. As the officers were climbing the stairs, Mcilveen came out of one of the rooms upstairs and began shooting at the officers. His shots struck Commander Greg Carnicle, Officer Marissa Dowhan and Officer Alicia Hubert. One of the other officers who had remained downstairs fired in the direction of Mcilveen.

The injuries prevented the officers from getting out of the house. Additional officers already on scene were able to get the three injured officers from the home and secure the scene. The Special Assignments Unit responded and attempted to negotiate Mcilveen's surrender.

After several hours, Mcilveen came out of the house armed with a handgun. An officer shot at Mcilveen stopping the threat. Mcilveen was pronounced dead at the scene.

Commander Carnicle and Officers Hubert and Dowhan were transported to a local hospital where Commander Carnicle was pronounced deceased. There were no additional injuries.

Commander Carnicle spent 31 years with the Phoenix Police Department. He served as officer, Sergeant, Lieutenant and finally promoting to Commander in 2015. He held supervisory roles in our Special Assignments Unit, K-9, Professional Standards Bureau and the Crime Lab. The 56-year-old was set to retire this fall and wanted to finish out this time on the force back where he started, protecting the streets of Phoenix. Last summer, he approached Chief Jeri Williams and asked if he could be the duty commander for patrol.

Commander Carnicle was very well liked among his fellow officers. He was known for his dry sense of humor and his direct, yet caring style. He leaves behind a wife and four adult children.

Officer Dowhan has been with the department for 3 years and is 23 years old. Officer Hubert is 22 years old and has spent just under 2 years with the department. Despite serious physical injuries, they are both expected to recover.

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