Arizona police officer shot and killed while trying to control crowd on reservation

An Arizona police officer, son of a Yellowstone County sheriff's deputy killed in 2006 while on duty, was himself shot and killed Saturday while responding to an emergency on an Indian reservation from Arizona.

Joshua Raymond Briese had been with the Gila River Police Department for less than a year and was still in field training when he was fatally injured while attempting to control a crowd on the reservation, according to a GRPD news release . Another person was killed in Saturday's shooting and three others were injured, including a second GRPD officer.

“YCSO is heartbroken and in disbelief after learning this morning of the line-of-duty death of Gila River, Arizona Police Officer Josh Briese, Joshie as many of us called him,” wrote the Yellowstone County Sheriff's Office in a statement posted Saturday on social media. .

In 2006, Briese, his two siblings and his mother mourned the loss of his father, Yellowstone County Sheriff's Deputy David Briese. The 38-year-old man was traveling on Interstate 90 responding to another deputy's call for help regarding a driver believed to be drunk and combative. Just east of the King Avenue West on-ramp, his car left the road. David Briese died in the accident.

Prior to becoming a YCSO deputy, Briese had worked at the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office and as a detention officer in the Yellowstone County Detention Center. The intestate from mile marker 445 to 451 has since been named the David L. Briese Jr. Memorial Highway. Ten years after his father's death, teenager Joshua Briese was among those there to remember him at a ceremony off I-90. Before moving to Arizona, Joshua graduated from Billings West High School in 2020.

“All we can say is God, go quickly and rest easy,” YCSO said. “Knowing that Dave and Josh are together again, they both left this world to serve their community and do what they loved.”

Saturday's shooting remains under investigation by GRPD and the FBI, according to the department's statement announcing Joshua Briese's death. GRPD reported that early Saturday morning, Briese was one of several officers who responded to a disturbance at a home in the Gila River Indian Community. The reservation is just south of Phoenix and is home to the Pima and Maricopa tribes. The GRPD serves as law enforcement on the reservation.

“As responding officers worked to respond to the disturbance, which involved a large crowd, several shots were fired,” GRPD said of Saturday's shooting.

The four others injured in the shooting were transported to local hospitals. As of Saturday afternoon, GRPD said the second injured officer was in serious but stable condition. As of Saturday evening, the department had not yet announced whether any arrests had been made.

“Our hearts and prayers go out to these officers, their families and everyone affected by this tragic incident,” GRPD said.

The head of government of the Gila River Indian Community, Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, issued a statement saying local authorities would coordinate closely with GRPD and the FBI throughout their investigation. The reservation's hospital has mobilized a crisis counseling team for those affected by Saturday's shooting. Although the investigation is still ongoing, Lewis said his administration will focus on healing.

“Nothing is more serious than a life cut short,” he said.

News of Briese's death sparked thousands of messages online offering condolences to his family. Along with Governor Lewis, Arizona law enforcement agencies shared statements honoring Briese, including the Navajo Police Department and the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

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