MESA, Ariz. — A Mesa police officer shot and killed a man early Thursday morning after the officer was dispatched using a new city-wide surveillance system, the city's department said.
Police dispatched the officer to the intersection of Alma School Road and Main Street after the city's camera system spotted a man threatening another person with a gun after some sort of argument, police said.
The man was later identified as 32-year-old Ringo Van Winkle.
Van Winkle allegedly ran into the middle of the roadway and started firing the handgun for some reason.
When police arrived, Van Winkle was shot by an officer. More officers arrived and tried to arrest him, but investigators claim that he refused to cooperate with their orders and he was tasered and shot again.
The officers then rushed Van Winkle to the hospital where he later died.
Investigators are unaware of what the man was originally shooting at.
The surveillance system is part of the Mesa Police Department's new "Real-Time Crime Center," aimed at reducing gun violence in the city, the department told 12 News last September. The center is reportedly funded with COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
No officers were injured in the incident, police said.
The department has yet to release the following details:
- The identity of the officer involved
Anyone witnesses are asked to contact police at 480-644-2211 or Silent Witness at 480-948-6377.
This is the second man that officers from the Mesa Police Department have recently shot and killed.
Officers responded to calls about a family fight near University Drive and Dobson Road on Feb. 8 where they encountered a man armed with a replica handgun, the department said. Two officers shot the man who was later pronounced dead at the scene.
ORIGINAL STORY: Man dead after shooting involving Mesa police
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Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.