A Chandler police officer fired a single shot Thursday afternoon that killed a 22-year-old man who had been waving a gun near Dobson and Warner roads, according to police. The man, identified by investigators as Romero Anthony Hernandez, died after ignoring repeated commands to drop the weapon during a confrontation with two responding officers around 3:30 p.m.
Chandler police were dispatched to the intersection following reports of a person waving a gun, according to FOX 10 Phoenix. Officers say the shooting happened shortly after they arrived on scene, when Hernandez allegedly pointed the firearm in multiple directions despite verbal warnings to put it down. One of the two officers on the scene discharged a single duty round, striking Hernandez, who was later transported to a hospital by Chandler Fire Department personnel after officers rendered aid.
Investigators recovered two firearms connected to Hernandez at the scene, one handgun found lying next to him where he fell and a second weapon located on his person before he was transported, per KTAR News. The officer who fired has been with the Chandler Police Department for about three years, the outlet reports. No officers or bystanders were hurt in the encounter, and police say the shooting no longer poses a danger to the public.
What Chandler Police Have Not Said
Police have not disclosed Hernandez's condition following the shooting beyond confirming the outcome, and department officials have not elaborated on what led up to the confrontation before officers arrived. Traffic restrictions remained in place around Dobson and Warner roads as the investigation continued, Chandler police said.
The intersection sits along a major East Valley commuter corridor; Chandler and neighboring Gilbert agreed earlier this year to widen Warner Road to handle the area's heavy traffic, according to a report from ABC15 Arizona.
Mesa Police Take Over the Criminal Investigation
As with other Chandler police shootings this year, the department will not investigate itself. Under the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, or EVCIRT, protocol, the Mesa Police Department is leading the independent criminal investigation into Thursday's shooting, per the same FOX 10 Phoenix report, while Chandler police retain responsibility for questions about the initial call for service.
EVCIRT launched on July 1, 2024, as a regional task force uniting eight East Valley agencies — Chandler, Mesa, Tempe, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Apache Junction, Paradise Valley and Queen Creek — specifically so member departments never investigate their own critical use-of-force incidents, the station's report notes. The arrangement reflects a broader state mandate: under Arizona Revised Statutes § 41-1762, all police critical use-of-force incidents statewide must be criminally investigated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a regional task force, or an outside law enforcement agency, according to City of Scottsdale records.
Once EVCIRT's investigation wraps up, its findings go to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for formal legal review and any charging decisions, according to a statement shared by the City of Tempe. That same review process is now underway for Chandler's latest fatal encounter.
Another Chandler Shooting in Recent Months
Thursday's shooting is not the first time this year that Chandler officers have been involved in a fatal use-of-force incident under EVCIRT review. On July 17, Chandler officers pursued an aggravated assault suspect who fled into a Tempe apartment complex and displayed a gun; medical examiners later determined that man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the Queen Creek Independent. Mesa police also investigated that case under the same regional protocol.
Hoodline has covered a fatal Chandler standoff before, and reported in February on officers shooting an armed suspect at another intersection in the city. As of Thursday, Chandler police had not released further details on what preceded the confrontation with Hernandez, and the investigation into the shooting remains ongoing.
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