On Friday August 10, two Tucson Police Department officers were involved in the shooting death of a suspect in aggravated assault and armed robbery incidents. The man is identified as 38-year old Dennis Riley. He succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased while at the hospital.
The Tucson Police Department had responded to multiple incidents involving Riley, who was armed with a gun in the area of North First Avenue and East Roger Road. Officers from Operations Division West responded to reports of an aggravated assault incident as well as an armed robbery incident.
When police arrived on the scene they also learned of another aggravated assault incident involving Riley earlier in the day.
According to the police report, Riley approached an adult female in the parking lot of an apartment complex near the intersection of North First Avenue and East Roger Road. The female was walking with her child in the parking lot of the complex when the suspect approached her. As Riley neared the female and child, he pointed a handgun directly at them before ultimately walking away from them. Neither the female nor child was injured during their interaction with the suspect.
A short while later, Riley approached a vehicle that was stopped in the roadway for a red signal light at the intersection of North First Avenue and East Roger Road. Riley pointed a handgun directly at the three occupants of the vehicle. The adult male driver was able to drive away as soon as the traffic signal cycled to green. None of the occupants of the vehicle were injured during the incident. The driver of the vehicle called 911 to report the incident shortly after leaving the area.
Riley then entered the Circle K store located at 4160 North First Avenue. While inside the store, he gathered various food and drink items from within the business before walking up to the counter and pointing a handgun directly at the store employees, an adult female and an adult male. As soon as he left the store, the employees called 911 to report the armed robbery and provide the suspect’s description. Neither employee was injured during the course of the armed robbery incident.
Officers responding to the area were flagged down by both the adult female victim that had encountered the suspect in the parking lot of the apartment complex as well as the occupants of the vehicle that he had approached in the roadway.
All of the victims advised the police personnel that they had seen Riley walking in a southbound direction shortly after he committed the armed robbery at the Circle K store. As an officer was speaking with the victims in the vehicle, they pointed out Riley as he was jumping the fence of an apartment complex near the intersection of North First Avenue and East Roger Road.
Numerous patrol resources responded to the area to establish containment and to attempt to locate Riley. Officers initiated a ground search on foot for Riley and located him in an alleyway in the 700 block of East McMillan. The officers noted that Riley was holding a handgun. They gave him repeated commands to drop the weapon. Riley did not initially comply with their directions. However, he eventually put the handgun on the ground.
One of the officers deployed a pepperball gun in the direction of Riley after he did not act upon repeated commands to move away from the gun. Riley then picked the gun up again and held it up. The officers began giving commands for him to put the gun back on the ground. Riley faced them and began moving the gun in the direction of the officers. Due to the fact that he continued to refuse to put down his handgun and fearing for their safety, the other officer discharged his firearm at Riley, who was struck by at least one bullet.
The officer who discharged his firearm was Officer Todd Schladweiler, a 5-year veteran of the Department. The officer who deployed the pepperball was Officer Aron Lodermeier, a nearly 3-year veteran of the Department. It has not yet been determined if Riley fired his weapon. No other citizens or police personnel were injured or otherwise affected by the incident.
Investigative personnel from the Tucson Police Department Homicide Unit, the Aggravated Assault Unit, the Robbery Unit, the Office of Internal Affairs, and the Night Detective Unit responded to the scene to continue the investigation. The Office of Internal Affairs will conduct a separate and parallel administrative investigation to examine the actions of department personnel in response to this incident. This type of post-shooting administrative review is standard protocol when an officer discharges their weapon in the line of duty. The review is utilized to determine whether department policies were followed and if current training, equipment, supervision, and policies are adequate and appropriate.