AVONDALE, AZ — Body camera video and additional documents have been released in a deadly shooting involving a teenager and Avondale police earlier this year.
The shooting happened near Dysart and Buckeye roads on the afternoon of February 21.
Police originally responded to the area of a dollar store for reports of a shoplifting suspect who had left the area.
An officer attempted to approach a man, who has since been identified as a 17-year-old boy, in the area that police say matched the suspect description from the shoplifting.
Body camera footage shows the officer approach the teen and then get into a struggle and fall down while attempting to take him into custody.
After the struggle, the teen got free from the officer and appeared to turn to run away.
That is when the officer fired five shots at the teen, as he appeared to continue to run away before falling to the ground.
Watch the video in the player below. Warning: This video is graphic and is not suitable for all audiences. ABC15 has chosen to stop the video at the moment the person was first shot due to its graphic nature, but to continue playing the audio for context.
That teen was killed in the shooting. The officer suffered minor injuries.
Police say several knives were found in the teen's possession when he was killed. One was in his waistband while two others appeared to be holstered on his leg.
The officer involved said afterward that the man tried to choke him and attempted to grab the officer's gun.
Avondale police say Peoria police conducted the investigation into the officer-involved shooting. The criminal investigation into this shooting is being done by the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. An internal review is also underway to determine if the shooting was in line with Avondale Police Department policies.
Police say, after asking the public for help identifying him, the person who was killed has been identified as a 17-year-old. They are not identifying him by name due to his age.
