​​​The Phoenix Police Department Released A Critical Incident Briefing

Phoenix AZ

15 January, 2021

8:38 AM

Description

Press release from the City of Phoenix: January 13, 2021 The Phoenix Police Department released a Critical Incident Briefing (CIB) video which includes information, audio, video and pictures related to an officer-involved shooting (OIS) that occurred on December 28, 2020, in the area of 27th Ave. and Orangewood Ave. This incident started at approximately 8:45 p.m., when a woman called 911 to report that her ex-boyfriend was in the patio of her apartment and was refusing to leave. The caller also informed the 911 operator that he had been violent in the past with her and that he was causing problems for her. The caller identified the man as 30-year-old, Jordan Crawford. The officers arrived and the suspect was no longer at the apartment and they began to look for the Crawford. Within minutes, Crawford was found walking through an open area of the apartment complex. An officer called out to Crawford to detain him but Crawford did not stop and told the officer that he had a gun as he placed his right hand behind his rear waistband area. Crawford and the officer continued to talk and walk through the complex. The officer told Crawford to show him his hands, which he refused and continued to walk backwards from officers. The interaction between the officers and Crawford continued onto 27th Avenue. Vehicle traffic stopped just missing Crawford as he crossed the street. Officers were able to contain him as he reached the east sidewalk. Once he got to the sidewalk Crawford stopped and leaned forward and began to yell with his hand behind his back. He began to count down and when he got to one, he swiftly pulled his hand from his back and the officers reacted to the threat. Officers deployed less lethal munition to safely approach Crawford in an effort to administer first aid. During the investigation a weapon was not recovered. The five officers involved in this incident are all assigned to the Cactus park precinct. There were no injuries to officers or any other community members. This incident is the subject of both an internal and a criminal investigation, which will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. 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. 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. 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.