A large police presence shut down part of Maryvale, a west Phoenix community, on Wednesday night as officers responded to what the department called a critical incident. Scene video showed crime tape stretched across the street and police cars blocking off the area, but officers have released no further details about what happened.
According to Arizona's Family, Phoenix police said they were working a critical incident near 75th Avenue and Sells Drive, north of Indian School Road. An image caption accompanying that report placed the incident near 75th Avenue, north of Indian School Road, matching the cross streets police cited. Phoenix police said a public information officer would respond to the scene, per the outlet's reporting.
Other outlets covering the same Wednesday night response in west Phoenix placed the incident at a different intersection. ABC15 reported that Phoenix police were responding to a critical incident near 75th Avenue and Sells Drive, consistent with the location cited by Arizona's Family. Meanwhile, FOX 10 reported that the Phoenix Police Department was working a critical incident near 75th Avenue and Camelback Road that same night. The discrepancy between the two reported cross streets has not been resolved.
No Details Released on What Happened
FOX 10's report was blunt about the information vacuum surrounding the response, noting plainly that police have not said what exactly happened. That silence has left residents and bystanders with little more than the visual of crime tape and a blocked-off street to go on.
As of Wednesday night, police had not disclosed whether anyone was injured, arrested, or otherwise involved in the incident. Arizona's Family reported that officers released no further details beyond confirming they were working a critical incident and that a public information officer would be sent to the scene.
What We Still Don't Know
The exact nature of the critical incident remains unclear, as does which intersection — Sells Drive or Camelback Road — actually marks the center of the police response. Hoodline will continue to follow this developing story in Maryvale as Phoenix police release additional information.
