On Friday the Phoenix Police Department released a critical incident briefing on Phillips's killing. The department’s briefings are highly edited videos narrated by officers and made public after any police shooting or in-custody death. They often include dispatch audio and footage from bodycams.
The briefing shows the midday pursuit and shooting of Phillips. He was killed by a single rifle shot from Phoenix police officer William Rodriguez Gallardo. Police chased Phillips after he allegedly trespassed on an abandoned property.
Phillips was the first person Phoenix police killed in 2025. Another man died in police custody on Jan. 10. The first Phoenix police killing this year comes after the department shot and killed 14 people in 2024 and 12 in 2023, both up from 10 in 2022.
‘He pointed at me, bro’
At about 11:10 a.m. on Jan. 17, Phoenix officers were dispatched to 35th Avenue and Baseline Road after receiving a complaint about “multiple trespassers in an abandoned home,” according to the briefing. Sgt. Rob Scherer, a department spokesperson, said officers approached the house and “people ran from the home and jumped the back wall of the property.” Based on the video provided and Google Maps, it appears this happened around 33rd Avenue and Baseline Road.Officers chased Phillips on foot for a short time before deciding to return to their vehicle. Gallardo says in the footage that Phillips is wearing a red jacket and “has a gun in his hand,” though that isn’t visible in body camera footage provided.
The police didn't provide video footage of the other alleged suspects, and it’s unclear what happened to them. Scherer told New Times that "'multiple trespassers' refers to the neighborhood complaint.” It’s possible there were no other suspects in reality, or that police never saw them. Scherer did not respond to New Times’ inquiry about whether officers had reason to believe other suspects escaped.
Police said Phillips then tried running into a gated community. In a second clip from Gallardo’s body-cam, Gallardo can be heard saying, “Oh, he pointed at me, bro.” Only Gallardo’s car door is visible in the footage, making it difficult to confirm that Phillips pointed a weapon. Gallardo then raises the rifle at Phillips, who appears to be running away from Gallardo. Gallardo fires a single, booming shot. Phillips falls to the ground instantly.
“He pointed the gun right at me, bro,” Gallardo says again as he and another officer drive up on Phillips. He and another officer yell to Phillips, warning him not to reach for the gun and to stay on the ground. The footage included in the briefing ends there. Police said they recovered a gun from the scene, although that is not included in the footage.
Police said Phillips was taken to a nearby hospital, where he died.
Phoenix police said they recovered this handgun after shooting and killing Christopher Phillips on Jan. 17.
Phoenix Police Department
Under investigation
Gallardo has worked for the department for eight years, Scherer said.The Maricopa County Attorney's Office opened a criminal investigation into the shooting, and police are conducting an internal investigation to determine whether officers followed department policy. Scherer did not respond to New Times’ question about what written department policies govern whether or not officers should shoot at a suspect who is running away.
The first Phoenix police killing of the year came just days before President Donald Trump took office and about seven months after the U.S. Department of Justice released a long-awaited report on Phoenix police. That report found that Phoenix police have a pattern of using excessive and unjustified deadly force.
It seems likely that Trump’s DOJ will let Phoenix police off easy. The Phoenix City Council and several other Democratic politicians, including Sen. Ruben Gallego, have opposed independent oversight of the department.
