John Doe
Date: 8/24/2021 Location: Payson, AZ FACTORS (1,2,4,5,8,10,14,19)
Name: Unidentified male
Criminal History/Involved: Unknown./ Yes, the man was reportedly forcing the woman into his vehicle at gunpoint.
Mental Illness: None reported but the subject’s actions were indicative of suicide by cop.
Substance Abuse History/Involved: Unknown./ None reported.
Race/Sex/Age: Unknown/Male/31
Officer(s) involved: Payson Police Officers Jirhod Brennan, Kyle Bathke and Carson Frahm
What prompted the initial contact with police? At around 12:14 a.m. on August 24, 2021, Payson police officers responded to a 911 call of a man forcing a woman into his vehicle at gunpoint in the Safeway shopping center parking lot. Upon arriving in the area, the officers located a vehicle occupied by an unidentified man and woman and conducted a high-risk traffic stop on them.
Actions taken by subject towards police: After the woman followed the officers commands and exited the vehicle, “the man quickly got out of the car, turned toward the officers, and allegedly made a motion as if he was pulling a weapon from his waistband.”
Reactions by the police: When the man refused to show his hands and made it appear he was accessing a weapon, the three officers all shot him.
Outcome of investigation into the fatal police incident: The investigation is ongoing, but Payson Police Chief Ron Tischer said, “ based on everything he has learned, the officers’ actions were justified.”
What could the subject have done that day to still be alive today? Not make it look like he was forcing a woman into his vehicle at gunpoint; comply with the officers’ commands and exit the vehicle slowly and with his hands up; not make the officers fearful he was accessing a gun.
Justified Use of Deadly Force? YES, deadly force was justified because the man’s actions made it appear he was accessing a concealed weapon, giving the officers reasonable cause to believe they were facing a deadly threat.
