Two individuals, including a minor, have been detained in connection with the tragic shooting deaths of an Arizona police officer and a civilian in Santan, Arizona. The deceased officer, Joshua Briese, was a young officer who was still undergoing field training. The identities and motivations of the suspects are still under investigation by the FBI and the Gila River Police Department.
Two people, including a juvenile, have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of an Arizona police officer and a civilian in the early hours of Saturday.
Officer Joshua Briese, of the Gila River Police Department, and an unidentified civilian were killed in a home in Santan, District 4 of the Gila River Indian Community, around 2 a.m. on Saturday, according to Fox 10. Four others, including another police officer, were injured in the shooting.
The FBI and the local police department have not yet released the identities or motives of the suspects. Both suspects are currently receiving medical care for injuries they sustained during the shootout.
The FBI stated that they are conducting interviews, gathering evidence, and collaborating with the Gila River PD to investigate the incident thoroughly. The agency emphasized the variable pace of investigations, as they require meticulous and comprehensive evidence-gathering. A decision on charges for the suspects will be made upon the completion of the investigation.
Officer Briese had joined the Gila River Police Department less than a year ago and was still in training when he responded to the fatal incident. According to the department's Facebook post, the incident involved a large gathering of individuals and multiple gunshots were fired.
"It was scary. I was scared when I heard the gunshots, we all dropped to the ground," said an anonymous witness to KPNX.
Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis expressed the community's grief over the tragedy. "Nothing cuts deeper than a life cut short," he stated.
The Gila River Police Department is currently investigating the incident, and efforts to reach them for comment were unsuccessful.
Officer Briese's father was a sheriff's deputy who tragically died in a car crash in 2006, according to the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office's Facebook page.
* The shooting took place at a home in Santan, Arizona.
* Four other individuals, including another police officer, were injured in the incident.
* Officer Briese was still in training and had only been with the department for less than a year.
* The investigation is ongoing, and the FBI and Gila River Police Department are collaborating to gather evidence and determine the motives behind the shooting.
* The community has expressed grief and sorrow over the senseless loss of life.
