CLARKDALE, AZ — Police in Clarkdale, Arizona, say a 4-year-old boy died after he was injured in a domestic dispute that led to an officer-involved shooting last month.
According to Clarkdale Police Department, officers were called to a home after receiving a call about an injured person on Feb. 27.
Police say a responding officer located an injured 4-year-old boy who had been repeatedly struck in the head with a guitar by his father, 33-year-old Joshua David Hernandez Lord.
Officers provided medical attention to the boy, but he died a day later after suffering multiple skull fractures.
The boy’s mother, a 51-year-old woman, was also struck in the head and suffered a skull fracture.
"The 911 calls did not convey the severity of the incident nor the extent of the injuries," police said in a press release.
Police say Lord’s aggressive behavior continued against the officer, who used a Taser ineffectively against the suspect. The officer was then reportedly forced to use lethal force.
Lord was pronounced dead at the scene.
A community meeting is scheduled for March 5 at 6 p.m. regarding the incident. Clarkdale officials say the meeting will be held at Clarkdale-Jerome school and will “provide a platform for information sharing, education of trauma and resiliency, and available resources within the community.”
