David Epaloose, a 38-year-old man, was booked into jail on Wednesday after being shot by Phoenix police in an incident stemming from a case of mistaken identity. As AZ Family reports, the shooting occurred on January 13th when police were searching for a domestic violence suspect near 14th Street and McDowell Road. Epaloose was mistakenly identified as the aggressor and, following a chase was shot after pointing a pellet gun at officers.
The initial call to the police came from a woman claiming her cousin's boyfriend had a knife and was trying to force entry into an apartment. The boyfriend had already vacated the scene when police arrived, which led to the search and subsequent chase of Epaloose. Despite being found with a pellet gun, Epaloose was not the domestic violence suspect the officers were seeking, a detail confirmed by authorities after the altercation. This is the fourth officer-involved shooting in Maricopa County in 2024, following a year that saw 25 such incidents in Phoenix alone, as stated in a report by AZ Family.
During the incident, one Phoenix police officer discharged a shotgun to stop Epaloose, while another struck him with their police SUV, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries for Epaloose and minor injuries for the officer involved. The investigation is still ongoing to find the actual suspect in the domestic violence case. Phoenix Police, in a statement obtained by AZ Family, noted that this is the second officer-involved shooting in the Valley on that Friday, marking an unsettling start to the new year.
Amidst the controversy, Interim Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan has been recognized for updating the department's use of force policy, emphasizing de-escalation techniques. "The police shot the wrong person," civil rights attorney Benjamin Taylor told AZ Family, highlighting the dire need for ensuring that innocent individuals are not harmed even in high-pressure scenarios that demand split-second decisions. According to Taylor, reforms pledged by the police department must be more than "lip service," urging continued oversight to ensure genuine change.
As the Phoenix Police Department continues its reform process, the Department of Justice has been investigating allegations of excessive force since 2021. So far, the DOJ's scrutiny has cost taxpayers over $5 million, and the department is already facing criticism for its policies and practices. Epaloose now faces charges of aggravated assault and resisting arrest, raising questions about the circumstances leading to his confrontation with law enforcement and the actions taken by the officers during the encounter.
