A Tucson police officer shot and killed a man in Midtown Tucson Monday morning.
The officers responded to a report from a wanted person, James Nicholas Pacheco, on Alvernon Way and Paradise Falls Drive early that morning, police said in a press release. When they arrived, 37-year-old Pacheco and a second person fled to a desert area on foot.
Officer Daniel Garcia pursued and confronted Pacheco. Pacheco allegedly brandished two bayonets and attacked Garcia, police said. Tucson Police have shared a screenshot of a body camera video showing the figure of a man near an officer with his fists raised above his head. However, it is not clear which direction he is looking or what he may be holding.
In response, Garcia shot and hit Pacheco. Officers provided first aid, and Pacheco was taken to Banner University Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
Pacheco was wanted for kidnapping and sexual assault over an incident on Friday.
The release stated that Pacheco was charged with kidnapping, sexual assault, and serious assault on an officer after he was released from the hospital.
The investigation is ongoing, including an investigation into the officers’ actions, which is a standard protocol.
Garcia has been with the Tucson Police Department for six years.
Arizona law enforcement agencies have shot 23 people and killed 14 people so far this year, according to an analysis by the Republic of Arizona. It is the second person to be shot dead by Tucson police. The other was a man suspected of having shot his estranged wife.
Reach the reporter for the latest news Nienke Onneweer at [email protected] or on Twitter @thenienke.
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