QUEEN CREEK, Ariz. — It may take a long time for Jacob Packard to be able to walk again after being shot by Maricopa County Sheriff Office deputies at a Queen Creek Walmart after claiming a voice in his head told him he had a bomb in his pocket.
Sarah Packard said that her 36-year-old brother is a father of four and “was struggling with mental illness.”
She said that after being shot he suffered severe injuries and had to undergo hip surgery.
“[The] doctor said that, although it won’t be easy or quick, he believes Jake will one day be able to walk again,” Sarah Packard wrote via text message.
On May 13 around 7:30 p.m., MSCO deputies responded to a bomb threat call at the Walmart near Rittenhouse and Ocotillo Roads. Investigators later identified Jacob Packard as the suspect referenced in the call.
Body-camera video of the incident showed deputies asking Jacob Packard if he knew what kind of bomb he had. He said he didn't know.
After further prompting from the deputies, Jacob Packard said that a voice in his head told him that he had a bomb in his pocket that morning.
While negotiating with him, deputies asked Jacob Packard to lay on the floor, to which he complied. Then a cut in the video showed what deputies claimed to be Jacob Packard getting up to flee.
The timestamp showed that about an hour had passed between deputy commands for Jacob Packard to lay on the floor and shots fired.
“Fearing for the safety of the public, an MCSO deputy fired four shots to prevent any additional threat to the community,” a release from the department said.
Jacob Packard fell to the ground and the deputies handcuffed him. They provided medical aid before he was then taken to a hospital where he remains.
“This was an obvious person with mental illness,” said Jeff Hynes, retired Phoenix police officer, and professor of Justice Studies at Glendale Community College.
Hynes has raised questions about how the deputies handled the situation.
When dealing with a person who is presenting signs of a mental illness, Hynes said that law enforcement officers need to explore less-lethal options.
“Can you shoot? Yes. Should you shoot? In this case, no,” said Hynes.
Hynes elaborated by saying that deputies failed by not asking more questions.
Jacob Packard complied with all of the deputy's requests until he suddenly got up and ran.
Hynes said that law enforcement officers could have asked for him to pull up his shirt or pants to verify if he had an explosive in the hour time that lapsed as he was laying on the floor.
“The fact that you could see his shirt close to his body, the fact that he did not have an apparent bomb even though he professed that he did. The fact that he was on the floor for 50 minutes laying on his stomach—these are all variables that take away the necessity to shoot immediately as what occurred here,” said Hynes.
In a statement released with the body-camera video, Maricopa County Sheriff Paul Panzone said, “This incident will require a comprehensive operational, internal and criminal review as I recognize the need for additional resources and greater accessibility to highly effective non-lethal weapons and training for the entire organization.”
Per protocol, the deputy that fired his weapon is on administrative leave and will remain on leave until the investigation is complete.
Jacob Packard is facing aggravated assault charges.
Following the shooting, officers determined that Jacob Packard did not have an explosive.
In the MCSO release, the agency said, “Ultimately, the suspect was not in possession of an explosive device, yet his statements and behaviors obligated deputies to respond consistently with a threat of this capacity.”
Jacob Packard’s family said he has a long road to recovery.
“He needs more than just physical help,” Sarah Packard said in a message. “Now that we know he’s stable and will live, we have more urgent hurdles to cross.”
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