On April 24, 2013 at 1:20 p.m., the Tucson Police Department received a 911 call regarding suspicious activity at a residence in the 5300 block of East Ferry Drive. A female reported that an unknown male was inside the doghouse in her back yard. Officers responded and found a man armed with a handgun.
Both officers fired their duty weapons striking 33-year old Robert Lopez multiple times. Lopez was pronounced deceased at the scene. Neither officer was injured during the incident.
Detectives determined that the two officers, Officer Ortiz and Flores, made contact with the homeowner in front of her home as they arrived on scene. The officers then made entry through the front door of her home and exited her back door in an attempt to locate the subject. As the officers exited into the back yard, they immediately saw Lopez crouched down inside of a makeshift doghouse just outside the back door. Lopez was armed with a handgun.
The officers drew their service weapons and began giving verbal commands to Lopez. Lopez did not comply with the verbal commands and began to raise the weapon towards the officers. Both officers fired their weapons and Lopez was struck multiple times. Detectives further determined that Lopez was in the doghouse was unknown to the homeowner and had no legal reason to be in the backyard.
Homicide Detectives are conducting a criminal investigation into the incident. Personnel from the Office of Internal Affairs continue a separate and parallel administrative investigation, examining 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.