2 suspects in custody in connection with Gila River shooting that killed police officer

Lina PortmanJune 3, 2024

0 2 minutes read

The FBI Phoenix Field Office and the Gila River Police Department arrested two suspects Sunday in connection with the Gila River Indian Community police shooting that occurred early Saturday morning.

Authorities identified the two suspects as a man and a teenager, but did not release their names. They said both individuals were receiving medical treatment for injuries they suffered in the shooting.

Authorities on Saturday confirmed that a Gila River police officer was dead and another injured after responding to a disturbance at a home early Saturday in Santan, District 4, of the Gila River Indian Community, according to the Gila River Police Department. Gila River.

Joshua Briese, who had been with the police department for less than a year, and another officer responded to a call for a disturbance involving a large crowd. Multiple shots were fired and both officers were hit, according to a Facebook post from the Gila River Police Department.

Both officers were taken to hospital. Briese died from his injuries, while the other officer, who was not identified, was in serious but stable condition, police said.

Four other people were hit by gunfire. One of them died and the other three were being treated in area hospitals. Two of the four people have been identified as suspects in the shooting.

Roberto Jackson, communications director for the Gila River Indian Community, declined to release further details about where the shooting took place.

Authorities, however, closed both lanes of Moffett Road south of State Route 87 on Saturday. There was a heavy police presence nearby, including a mobile command center.

Approximately six law enforcement vehicles were seen near the closure as FBI investigators processed the scene at a residence located about a half-mile south of Moffett Road and SR 87.

Luisa Gomez, a member of the Gila River tribe, woke up to sirens connected to the shooting just a few blocks from her home.

Gomez said the civilians injured and killed in the shooting were related to him and that it happened at a teenage party.

District 4 covers approximately 115 square miles and has seen the greatest industrial growth of the seven districts in the Gila River Indian Community.

On Saturday evening, Stephen Roe Lewis, governor of the Gila River Indian Community, called a special meeting with the Gila River Indian Community Council. Leaders approved a moratorium on all dancing, effective immediately, according to documents posted on the community's Facebook page.

Anyone organizing or attending a dance in the community could be arrested for disorderly conduct and trespassing, according to the documents. Anyone who organizes a dance party risks losing their host site, and anyone who plays music at a party faces a $1,000 fine and risks having their instruments confiscated.

Lina Portman

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