New police videos show officers shooting and killing armed BLACK man in Maryvale Arizona

Arheel's Uncle

Senior Reporter

New police videos show officers shooting and killing armed man in Maryvale
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Officers arrived on the scene, and three of them opened fire on Kirk, killing him.
By David Baker
Published: Nov. 16, 2022 at 5:25 PM MST|Updated: Nov. 16, 2022 at 9:19 PM MST

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) — New edited videos from the Phoenix Police Department show three officers shooting and killing a man with a gun outside a Maryvale business earlier this month. According to investigators, Leontae Kirk was threatening a man with a gun, so the victim called 911 in the area of 37th Avenue and McDowell on Nov. 2. Kirk apparently left and walked to a nearby strip mall. He went inside one of the stores and got into an argument with a motorcycle rider.

Officers in a police helicopter overhead said they spotted Kirk with a gun outside the store and that he opened fire. “He’s shooting at people in front of the store,” officers said on the radio. “We need more units over to...37th Avenue McDowell. We have an active shooter,” the police dispatcher said. Surveillance video from the store shows Kirk and at least another man holding guns at each other, but the video goes to black before any shots are heard.

Officers arrived on the scene, and three of them opened fire on Kirk, killing him. Only two of the three officers had their body cameras activated during the shooting. The other didn’t turn theirs on until after the gunfire. One officer’s body-cam video shows him arriving and running to the scene with a rifle. Gunshots can be heard from two officers before he opens fire. It appears the third officer can be heard shouting, “Stop!” before she fires her gun.

Graphic videos released Wednesday show Phoenix 2 officers and a sergeant opening fire on a man with a gun earlier this month in Maryvale, killing him.


The second body-cam video shows the officers running up with a handgun. He doesn’t say anything before he unloads his clip on Kirk. He reloads before telling dispatch there was an officer-involved shooting. After the shooting, the first body-cam video shows the officer shooting a less-lethal round at Kirk, who didn’t move. Crews moved in to revive him, but he was already dead. More than a dozen gunshots were fired between the three officers.

Police said a sergeant who has served 14 years with the department was one of those who opened fire on Kirk. The other two officers had four and five years of experience, respectively. All three were assigned to the Maryvale/Estrella Mountain Precinct. No names have been released. Both a criminal and an internal investigation into the shooting are underway.
 
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