Phoenix police say they are responding to what they are calling a critical incident in the area of 72nd Drive and Merrell Street on Thursday evening. The department announced that a public information officer would be sent to the scene and that a staging location would be determined shortly. Officials released no other details at the time of publication.
What police said
According to Phoenix Police, a public information officer was being sent to the scene and a staging area would be set. That post is the only official update available so far. The department did not specify the nature of the incident or whether anyone was injured or detained. Hoodline will update this report when the PIO or other officials provide more information.
Who investigates these incidents
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, the Major Incident Division conducts independent criminal investigations of critical-force incidents, including officer-involved shootings. Those outside investigations are designed to provide an independent review of serious use-of-force cases and can lead to criminal referrals for prosecutor review. Administrative inquiries by the involved agency commonly proceed in parallel while criminal investigators work the case.
How we'll follow this
Hoodline will monitor official channels and update this story when Phoenix Police’s public information officer issues a statement. The City of Phoenix lists [email protected] as the contact for media inquiries and explains typical press-staging procedures, and we will add those details when they are released.
