bucklocal.org

Phoenix Officer Shoots Man in Baby-Hostage Standoff

Phoenix police responded to a domestic violence call near 31st Avenue and Bethany Home Road on September 24, 2025. The call came after a complainant texted 911 stating that her brother-in-law was holding a baby hostage with a machete and threatened to harm anyone intervening. The complainant noted that the baby’s mother was waiting outside and instructed officers not to ring the doorbell.

Upon arriving at the home, a woman directed officers to the front door and stated that her brother was inside with her husband, who was holding her baby hostage with a machete. Officers saw a man sitting on a couch through the open door. The man remained inside when officers called him to come outside, leading one officer to discharge two projectiles from a 40mm Launcher. The projectiles did not change the man’s behavior.

After the launcher was fired, officers heard a baby crying. The man confirmed the baby was in the home. As officers moved closer, they observed the man holding a toddler on his lap while wielding a machete. An officer ordered the man to come outside. When he did not comply, an officer fired his rifle, hitting the man. He fell to the floor, and officers then disarmed him and removed the toddler from the scene.

The toddler was taken by the fire department to the hospital, treated for minor injuries, and later discharged. Paramedics provided aid to the man, who was transported to the hospital and discharged two days later. He was subsequently booked into the Maricopa County Jail on multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.

The officer involved in the shooting is assigned to the Cactus Park Precinct and has been with the department for over four years. The incident is under criminal investigation by the Department of Public Safety’s Major Incident Division and will also be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. An administrative investigation by the Phoenix Police Department is also ongoing, and no conclusions have been made regarding the officers’ actions until the investigation is complete.

Source: Phoenix Police Department

Source Type: Police

Source Location:

Oct 8, 2025 at 6:04 PM

Police