PHX officer charged in shooting death

PHOENIX - A Phoenix police officer has been arrested in connection with a deadly shooting.

Richard Chrisman, 36, has been charged with one count of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in Tuesday's shooting in south Phoenix.

Chrisman, a 9-year veteran with the Phoenix Police Department, responded with another officer to a domestic violence call near 3rd Street and South Mountain Avenue where they were asked to remove 29-year-old Daniel Rodriguez from the residence.

According to court documents, Elvira Fernandez called police after she and Rodriguez, her son, got into an argument and he damaged some property inside the home. She left the home because she feared he would hurt her.

The officers got no response when they tried to contact Rodriguez inside and Fernandez asked officers to go inside and remove her son from the home.

The officers went inside the home, with Chrisman leading, and Rodriguez confronted them, according to documents.

When Rodriguez told officers they had no right to be in the trailer and they needed to leave, Chrisman reportedly pulled out his service pistol and held it to Rodriguez's temple, telling him, "I don't need no warrant motherf***er."

Chrisman then re-holstered his weapon and tried to grab Rodriguez as if to detain him, according to documents.

The second officer, 41-year-old Sergio Virgillo, reportedly attempted to help Chrisman but the two were unable to restrain Rodriguez.

Both officers then deployed stun guns, but Rodriguez pulled the probes from his chest. Chrisman then used "OC" spray on the suspect.

According to court documents, Chrisman shot a pit bull that had been barking during the incident. Virgillo told investigators the dog had not attacked either officer.

Chrisman and Rodriguez got into a physical confrontation as Rodriguez tried to leave the home on a bicycle when Chrisman drew his pistol and shot Rodriguez more than once, according to documents.

Virgillo reportedly told investigators several times that he did not believe there was a threat to himself that would require him using deadly force. He reported that he never saw a weapon in Rodriguez's hands. He described his reaction to the shooting as the "worst day of his life."

Police Chief Jack Harris and Maricopa County Attorney Rick Romley said additional charges, including the possibility of a murder charge, are possible against Chrisman pending a full investigation. He reportedly posted $150,000 bond and was released from jail after his appearance in court.

Harris met with community leaders in the heavily minority area where the shooting happened. Officers in the South Mountain precinct have been accused of using excessive force and racial profiling in the past year.

"I just want to assure the community that our officers are highly trained, highly recruited, very qualified people that day-to-day are confronted with very split second decisions that are life and death decisions," Harris said later. "But ... if there's allegations that they have exceeded their authority or in anyway used force that was not necessary with their contact with the public then we will absolutely investigate it thoroughly, objectively and take appropriate action."

County Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox, who attended the meeting, said Harris provided community leaders with an early report, and that was reassuring.

"The fact that one officer is in jail ... sends a big message that just because it was a police officer, if something was wrong, it will be stopped," Wilcox said.

On Friday, Senate Rep. Richard Miranda, Rep. Ben Miranda and Rev. Oscar Tillman held a news conference to discuss Chrisman.

They said Chrisman is on what is called the "Brady List" that lists officers who are known to have lied under oath.

They also called on Public Safety Manager Jack Harris to correct problems within the department that led to this incident.