Mesa, Arizona: Man Shot and Killed by Two Officers After Fleeing a Traffic Stop

Two Mesa police officers shot and killed a man early on Tuesday after a vehicle fled a traffic stop, police said. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, near Country Club Drive and 6th Street, and officers found a gun near him, according to a Mesa Police Department news release cited by the local outlets that reported the shooting.

The stop and the chase

Mesa police said the incident began at about 1:40 a.m. on Oct. 27, when officers stopped a vehicle near Extension Road and University Drive. Detective Robert Katz said in the department news release that the driver fled while officers were questioning him. FOX 10 placed the stop just before 1:45 a.m. near University Drive and Extension Road.

Officers found the vehicle again near Country Club Drive and 6th Street, less than a mile from the stop. The driver was seen running from the area, and officers chased him on foot, police said.

What police have and have not said

At about 1:58 a.m., two officers discharged their firearms and struck the man, Katz said. Medical personnel pronounced him dead at the scene. The officers were not hurt, and police said a gun was found near the man.

Police have not identified the man, and they have not explained what happened in the moments before the officers fired. No other details about what led to the shooting were released on Tuesday morning.

Police said there were other people in the vehicle, and officers were searching for them on Tuesday. "There were other occupants in the vehicle, and that is part of the Mesa Police Department's initial investigation and ongoing investigation," Katz said. "I can tell you this appears to be an isolated incident and at this time there is no ongoing threat to the community."

Early on Tuesday, the investigation closed nearby streets. Southbound Country Club Drive was closed between 6th Street and 5th Street, and 6th Street was closed west of Country Club Drive, and officers asked residents to avoid the area while the scene stayed active later in the morning.

Investigation by a neighboring department

The shooting is being investigated by the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, with the Gilbert Police Department serving as the primary investigating agency. Mesa police said they intend to release a critical incident briefing video when the investigation is complete.

The Arizona Republic reported that there have been at least 65 police shootings in Arizona so far in 2026, with at least 39 of them fatal. The Mesa case now goes to an outside agency for review, while Mesa police continue their search for the other people who were in the vehicle and have asked anyone with information to contact the department.