The Scottsdale Police Department's second fatal officer-involved shooting this month was caught on camera, as a neighbor recorded the confrontation between the Scottsdale officer and 72-year-old Preston Phillips last month.
Unfortunately, that 19-year-old neighbor released the video to KPHO Channel 5, which hacked up the video with some obnoxious editing, somehow making the cellphone-quality video even worse.
See also:
-Scottsdale Cop Shoots, Kills 72-Year-Old Preston Phillips
-Thomas Hawes Fatally Shot by Scottsdale Cops; Five Detectives on Leave
-Scottsdale Police Department Has Quite a Shooting Problem, ACLU Alleges
-David Hulstedt Shot in Back, Then Dragged 400 Feet on Knees by Scottsdale Police
-James Peters, Scottsdale Cop With Six Kills, Approved for Retirement
Preston Phillips Jr. was shot by the officer around 6 p.m. on March 28 after, police say, he drove up next to the officer, pulled a handgun out of his holster and "display[ed] it in a threatening manner."
That officer, seven-year veteran Nathan Mullins, responded to a dispute between neighbors that evening, after a woman complained about her neighbor parking his truck illegally.
After Mullins ticketed the truck, an SUV pulled up to Mullins, who went around to the driver's-side window.
As he approached the window, the officer saw the man, later identified as Phillips, pull a pistol from the holster and "display it in a threatening manner," according to police.
Mullins stepped back and fired multiple shots into the SUV.
The house belongs to Phillips, and police confirmed to New Times that his son owned the ticketed truck.
Now, this video of the shooting was released to KPHO, in which 11 shots are heard being fired, apparently all from Officer Mullins.
Mullins was placed on leave, as is typically the case in officer-involved shootings.
Check out the video below, and below that, read more about recent Scottsdale PD shootings.
Earlier in March, 45-year-old Thomas Hawes -- who was wanted for questioning in sex crimes -- was shot by Scottsdale police after being confronted by five detectives. Police said he pointed a gun at himself, then pointed it at the detectives and fired one round. The detectives fired back, killing Hawes.
Police said that the five detectives involved in the shooting also were placed on leave, which is consistent with Scottsdale PD policy.
In September, the Scottsdale PD was targeted with a lawsuit from the ACLU for a department shooting in which former Officer James Peters notched his sixth kill. The ACLU alleged that the Scottsdale PD heads pretty much have a policy of "rubber-stamping" officer-involved shootings as justified.
A little more than a year ago, police responded to John Loxas' home, and he answered the door with his grandson in his arms. He was not armed, but Officer Peters shot him in the forehead, killing him instantly. No other officer fired a shot.
ACLU representatives compared that to the 2008 shooting of David Hulstedt, who was shot, handcuffed, and dragged about 400 feet by Scottsdale cops, in an incident that was captured on videos (linked above).
