Chandler Police Mistakenly Shoot Neighbor During Response to Armed Suspect Incident

A chaotic scene unfolded in a Chandler neighborhood last weekend when police responding to a call about a man with a gun ended up shooting two individuals, one of whom was an innocent bystander, officials report. The shooting happened after officers arrived just after 6 p.m. on March 3, to investigate reports of a man making claims about dead bodies in his home near Chandler Boulevard and McClintock Drive, according to FOX 10 Phoenix.

Police identified the man as 59-year-old Luciano Gutierrez, who reportedly exited his home, gun in hand, and aimed it at responding officers. Following protocol amidst the perceived threat, officers shot Gutierrez. Amidst the frantic action, a Chandler officer, mistaking a 33-year-old neighbor for the armed suspect, shot the man who refused to go inside his home as previously instructed for his safety. The officer believed the neighbor was waving a weapon towards other officers at the time, detailed a statement by the Chandler Police obtained by ABC15.

Upon further investigation, it was confirmed that the bystander was not armed. Both men were treated on the scene and are now reported to be in stable condition at a local hospital. No officers were injured during the incident.

"The subject began making movements indicative of a person with a weapon and pointing it towards the officers while the shooting was occurring," shared Interim Chandler Police Chief Melissa Deanda regarding the neighbor's actions, during a press conference. Following standard procedure, all officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave while the investigation continues, with plans to book Gutierrez into jail upon his hospital release, FOX 10 Phoenix reports.

Chandler Police Department is expected to provide further updates on the matter in the upcoming press conference scheduled for Tuesday.