PHOENIX – Two officer-involved shootings within hours of each other Sunday night and Monday morning left two men dead and increased the record total for the Phoenix Police Department this year.
The total number of officer-involved shootings for the Phoenix Police Department is up to 37 as of Monday, compared to 21 in 2017 for the entire year.
Police Chief Jeri Williams told 12 News on Aug. 17 her department was looking for ways to fix this.
“Instead of just sitting back, waiting for the next one to happen, we’ve been progressive, we’ve been proactive,” Chief Williams said.
Williams said the problem is an increase in violence toward her officers. The latest two shootings were no different according to police.
“Several of the officers realized he had a gun. He pointed a gun at one of our officers. The officers fired and stopped the threat,” Sgt. Tommy Thompson said early Monday morning at the scene of the shooting on 43rd Avenue near Roosevelt Street that left a man dead.
Chief Williams said she has been looking for the reason behind these encounters.
“We’ve been increasing training. We’ve been talking to the community,” Williams said.
The chief of the Phoenix PD said her department is doing more than internal research.
Williams has reached out to a third party, the Police Foundation, for help figuring out what is leading to the increased use of firearms during calls for her officers.
“To look at our numbers, look at our stats, to review our policies, procedures, training, practices -- in the effort to make sure we’re doing all we can to increase the safety and training of our officers as well as out of our community,” Williams said.
According to Phoenix police, through May, overall assaults on officers was already up by 45 percent this year when compared to 2017.