Local officials in Santan, District 4, of the Gila River Indian Community in Arizona have reported the deaths of a woman and a police officer who were responding to a disturbance at a home early on Saturday.
According to the Arizona Republic, a part of the USA TODAY Network, Joshua Briese—who had been with the police department for less than a year—and another officer went to a disturbance report involving a sizable crowd. Both officers were hit by multiple gunshots, according to a Facebook post from the Gila River Police Department.
They brought both cops to the hospital. According to authorities, Briese passed away from his wounds, while the other officer—who has not been named—was in a serious but stable condition.
There were four other victims of gunfire. According to Gila River Indian Community Governor Stephen Roe Lewis, the deceased woman’s name was Alicen Apkaw, 23. He didn’t say anything about when she passed away. Hospitals in the neighbourhood were treating the three other shot victims.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office and the Gila River Police Department detained two individuals on Sunday. They were named as a man and an adolescent boy by officials, who withheld their names. They claimed that both people were getting medical attention for the gunshot wounds they sustained.
“I know I speak for our entire Community when I say that we grieve for our fallen and injured police officers and every Community member touched by such tragic violence,” Lewis said. “Nothing cuts deeper than a life cut short. We will pray for our officers and their families, and for every Community member, every loved one, and every family impacted by what happened this morning.”
Who was Joshua Briese?
Briese was the son of former deputy David Briese of the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, who was also killed while performing his duties.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, David Briese was murdered in November 2006 in a car collision on Interstate 90 in Billings, Montana, as he was responding to a backup call for an officer dealing with a confrontational intoxicated motorist.
Regarding Joshua Briese’s passing, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office issued the following statement:
“YCSO is heart broken and in disbelief upon receiving word this morning of the Line of Duty Death of Gila River Arizona Police Officer Josh Briese, Joshie as many of us called him,” the statement said. “All we can say is God Speed and rest easy. Knowing Dave & Josh are together again, both left this world serving their community and doing what they loved. RIP.”
Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell also released a statement: “The fact that Joshua’s father, David, also gave his life in the line of duty adds to the incalculable debt we owe to their family. I continue to pray for the recovery of the other injured officer.”
About The Gila River Shooting
Gila River Tribe member Luisa Gomez awoke to sirens in response to the shooting that had occurred just a few blocks from her house. Gomez said that the incident happened at a teen’s birthday celebration and that the bystanders who were injured and murdered were related to her.
“It’s not that dangerous here …” stated Gomez. “Usually, it’s very nice and quiet.”
The Gila River Indian Community’s director of communications, Roberto Jackson, declined to provide any additional information on Saturday afternoon, including the location of the incident.
On Saturday, however, Moffett Road south of State Route 87 was blocked by authorities in both lanes. There was a mobile command center and a large police presence in the area. As FBI investigators inspected the scene at a residence approximately half a mile south of Moffett Road and SR 87, around six law enforcement vehicles were observed near the closure.
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