Officer-involved shooting under investigation in Surprise after suspect wounded, Maricopa County officials say

Surprise police investigated an officer-involved shooting Sunday near Dysart Road and Waddell Road in which a man was fatally wounded, officials said. Officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic violence incident, and an officer fired after encountering the armed suspect, who died at the scene, according to Sgt. Rick Hernandez.

Upon arrival, officers encountered a man armed with a firearm. Hernandez said one officer fired his weapon during the encounter, and the man, later identified as Trinidad Ledesma, died at the scene. Police confirmed that no officers or other community members were injured in the incident.

According to Sgt. Rick Hernandez, a spokesperson for the Surprise Police Department, officers responded to a 911 call reporting a domestic violence incident near Dysart Road and Waddell Road around 3 a.m. Sunday.

The firearm involved was identified by the Buckeye Police Department, which is handling the investigation, as a shotgun, according to ABC15. The investigation is being conducted by the Buckeye Police Department and will be forwarded to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for review, as is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings in the county.

This incident is one of several recent officer-involved shootings in Surprise. Another shooting occurred on Saturday afternoon, June 13, 2026, near Greenway Road and Reems Road. In that case, officers responded to a domestic dispute involving a man and his father. Multiple shots were reportedly fired inside the home, and police found the father deceased inside the residence. The suspect in that incident was wounded but survived, and no law enforcement officers were injured. Glendale Police are investigating that case.

Records show that Surprise police responded to a separate officer-involved shooting in December 2025 near 151st Avenue and Cactus Road. In that incident, a man armed with a knife was shot by officers and taken to the hospital in critical but stable condition. Police stated there was no ongoing threat to the community following that event.

Surprise police have consistently communicated that there is no ongoing threat to the community after these shootings. Sgt. Hernandez reiterated this following the Sunday shooting, and similar statements were issued after the June 13 and December 2025 incidents.

Maricopa County’s public materials indicate that officer-involved shootings are treated as formal critical incidents subject to thorough review and oversight. Investigations typically include both criminal and administrative components and are referred to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office for further examination, according to county protocols. These procedures have been in place and tracked from 2017 through 2026.

The series of recent officer-involved shootings in Surprise highlights the city’s ongoing efforts to manage critical incidents involving law enforcement. Each case involves coordination among local police agencies, including Surprise Police, Buckeye Police, Glendale Police, and county authorities, to ensure investigations are conducted according to established guidelines. The outcomes of these investigations, including any potential criminal charges or administrative actions, will be determined as the review processes proceed.