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Phoenix police release footage in fatal police shooting near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road

Arizona Republic

Police released footage on Friday of a fatal police shooting in response to a suspected armed robbery that occurred April 3 near 75th Avenue and Indian School Road in Phoenix. 

According to officials, police from the Maryvale precinct and a police helicopter responded to a report of a man, later identified by police as Jose Arenas, 26, pointing a handgun at multiple people and trying to rob them near a restaurant on April 3 around 8 p.m. 

Bodyworn camera and restaurant surveillance footage show Arenas pointing a gun at people inside a car and a person inside a restaurant, putting a woman in a chokehold and pointing his gun at an officer before police fatally shot him. 

In audio and video released by Phoenix police, a 911 caller reported that “there’s this guy with … his gun pointing to people” on Indian School Road and 75th Avenue. Dispatchers can also be heard in police audio saying they received a call saying Arenas tried to take his vehicle. 

Video released by police shows Arenas pointed a gun at a person in a white SUV and then at a police helicopter after it shined a spotlight on him outside the restaurant. 

Video shows an officer run up on a sidewalk close to the restaurant and yell, “yo, yo, drop the (expletive) gun” at Arenas, who police said refused to drop his gun. Arenas then runs toward the restaurant. 

In the restaurant surveillance video, Arenas is seen entering the restaurant and then walking up to two people, one of whom he appears to point his gun at. Arenas then put a woman in a chokehold, but the other man is able to pry her free. During this interaction, multiple people are seen leaving the restaurant. 

An officer ran back toward the restaurant, where people were fleeing, and entered in one of the doors after the man pried the woman free, body camera footage shows. 

“Yo drop the (expletive) gun,” the officer said as he raised his gun at Arenas, who is seen walking closer to the officer and ducking below the booths in the restaurant. 

Restaurant security footage shows Arenas point his gun at the officer and then ducking behind the booth as police shoots at him and misses. As the man and woman walked past the officer, two gunshots can be heard after the officer entered the restaurant and told Arenas to drop his gun.

The body camera footage then shows police move toward Arenas, who crouched behind an object and pointed his gun up. Body-worn camera footage shows the officer then shoots Arenas about 10 times. Arenas is then seen in the video lying on the ground after being shot. 

Police attempted CPR after checking the back of the restaurant and before he was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said.

The video police released was edited video with some additional information about what officers say happened.

Since 2019, The Phoenix Police Department has produced videos with summaries of police shootings that include some body-camera footage, 911 calls and a narration of the events that led to the shooting.

Arenas’ handgun was recovered at the restaurant, according to police. Police said no victims or police were injured. 

Phoenix police said the shooting is undergoing internal and criminal investigations. Once the criminal investigation is complete, it will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

Police said the officer who fatally shot Arenas is a two-year police veteran with the department, but have not released his name. 

Reach the reporter at [email protected] or on Twitter at @Audreyj101.

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