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New body camera footage and information released by the Phoenix Police Department on March 8 indicates that a 41-year-old man who died after being chased down by officers may not have been wounded by them.
Questions linger, however, about the death of Derin Holmes. He died from a gunshot wound on February 22. Phoenix police initially said he died during an officer-involved shooting. But in details released last week, police said Holmes died from a self-inflicted gunshot.
So far in 2023, officers with the department have shot and killed six people — including one on the same day as Holmes. A seventh man died in February after being pinned to the ground and knelt on by multiple officers while being handcuffed.
The deaths come as the agency's new chief, Michael Sullivan, emphasizes deescalation and attempts to lead the agency through a wide-ranging federal investigation into its use of force and other issues.
New Details Revealed in Two Police Shootings
On March 8, Phoenix police released clips of body camera footage and dispatch audio related to Holmes's death in what the agency calls "critical incident briefings." The videos are edited and do not contain complete footage or audio of an incident. The department generally takes months to complete records requests for unedited body camera footage.In the briefing on Holmes's death, an agency spokesperson said that officers were dispatched to a call about an assault in the area of 23rd and Glendale avenues. As officers were searching for the suspect, two spotted Holmes jump a fence. Robert Scherer, a Phoenix police spokesperson, told Phoenix New Times in an email that Holmes was later identified as the suspect in the assault case.
Two officers chased Holmes, according to the footage. A shot rang out, and then more shots followed. The agency said that officers believed Holmes shot in their direction, and one of the officers returned fire. "Shots fired at officers," the officer said into his radio after shooting at Holmes.
The department said that its preliminary investigation showed that Holmes was not struck by any of the rounds fired by the officer and died of a self-inflicted gunshot. However, the cause of death has not yet been confirmed by the agency or the county medical examiner.
Also on March 8, the department released a briefing related to the killing of Jason Resendez. The 47-year-old was shot by a Phoenix police officer in the area of 29th Avenue and Madison Street. Resendez died on February 22 — the same day as Holmes.
The footage shows two officers approaching Resendez in the course of an investigation into a stolen vehicle. He pulled out a gun from his waistband and did not drop it for several seconds after officers commanded him to do so. One officer then shot at him.
Growing Death Toll
So far in 2023, the Phoenix Police Department has been involved in at least eight deaths, including six fatal shootings:- January 3: Officers shot and killed Cosme Medina Núñez, a 46-year-old man who was holding a pair of scissors. His family in Mexico has been struggling to get his body back to his home country.
- January 7: Officers shot and killed Kenneth Hearne, 37, who was armed with a handgun. Hearne shot a Scottsdale police officer the day prior.
- February 11: Bryan Funk, a 40-year-old man who had just been released from prison, died after multiple officers pinned him to the ground, knelt on his back, and restrained his legs during an arrest.
- February 22: Holmes died of a gunshot wound. Although officers fired at Holmes, the agency has said the preliminary investigation shows that the fatal wound was self-inflicted.
- February 22: Officers shot and killed Resendez, who had pulled out a gun as officers approached him.
- February 25: Officers shot and killed Matthew Anthony Sansotta, 36, during a DUI investigation. Body camera footage related to Sansotta's death has not yet been released.
- March 5: Officers shot and killed James Saucedo, 42. Although no body camera footage or dispatch audio has been released yet, officers said Saucedo shot a woman and then pulled a gun on officers when they arrived.
- March 6: Officers shot and killed Anthony Castro, 40. No body camera footage or dispatch audio has been released, but officers said Castro was stabbing a woman when he was shot.
