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An Avondale police officer recently shot a shoplifting suspect at a dollar store, and the incident has left netizens outraged. Body Cam footage of the shooting, released on the Police Activity channel on May 22, 2023, shows an experienced Avondale officer shooting a suspect who allegedly attacked the cop and tried to resist arrest by running away.
Trigger warning: This article contains content showing explicit gun violence and contains mentions of graphic violence throughout. Reader's discretion is advised.
The shooting occurred near 10th Street and Riley Drive in Avondale on February 21, 2023, at around 12:30 pm. The police officer pulled the trigger when the suspect had his back turned towards him and was attempting to run away. The cop shot the suspect five times in the back.
Reddit users were outraged at the actions of the Avondale police officer. They were especially critical of the fact the criminal was shot in the back while trying to run away, which they said was "a murder."
The footage was reposted on the r/PublicFreakout subreddit by u/Mattt_Hancock. The clip received over 3.2k upvotes, while the original Youtube post has gone on to amass over 320k views.
The officer was a six-year veteran of the Avondale police department. After the incident, the cop was placed on administrative leave, as per a report by Fox 10. The Peoria Police Department was assigned as the lead agency for the criminal investigation, which has been turned over to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
While YouTube users comment on the Avondale cop's bravery, Redditors call him a murderer
People in the r/PublicFreakout subreddit have been critical of the shooting incident involving the Avondale police officer. They were especially vocal about their disapproval of the cop's handling of the situation. Users alleged that the cop's response was due to his hurt ego and ardently criticized the officer for shooting the suspect in the back.
Aside from Reddit, Youtube comments under the original video were an entirely different story. The difference between Youtube and Reddit comments was night and day.
Strangely enough, the entire comments section under the Police Activity channel was in support of the Avondale officer. Youtube users thanked the cop for dealing with the situation as he did and claimed that his actions made society "a little safer."
The Avondale cop reported that the shooting suspect was in possession of several knives
To reiterate once again, the local police in the area had responded to a shoplifting report from a Family Dollar store near Dysart Road and Riley Drive on Tuesday, February 21. The reports said that the suspect allegedly shoplifted the place twice earlier that day. The suspect's descriptions were given to the police.
Police found a suspect who matched the descriptions at the Agua Fria River bottom near the area of 10th Street and Riley Drive. When the officer tried putting the suspect in handcuffs, he resisted, which resulted in the officer falling. What ensued was a struggle between the cop and the suspect as he tried desperately to free himself.
When the suspect successfully freed himself from the protesting officer's grip, he attempted to run away. It was while escaping that he was shot five times in the back by the police officer. After he went down, the officer yelled:
"Get on the f*****g ground!"
The suspect died on the scene while the Avondale officer was taken to the hospital for neck and hand injuries. According to the cop, the suspect tried choking him and tried to reach for his holstered gun. The officer also said that he saw a "sharp tool" on the suspect's waist. The suspect was later found in possession of several knives.
The Peoria Police Department released descriptions of the deceased suspect to the public in the hope of identifying him. The man was described as a 5'6" African American male between the age of 15 and 20, with black hair styled in 5-inch twists, brown eyes, a piercing on the left ear without an earring, and a gap between his front teeth. The suspect was found wearing three pairs of pants, two homemade necklaces, two beaded bracelets, two pairs of socks, and Crocs.
The facial sketch of the suspect, created by the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children was also released by the police.
