PHOENIX — When a south Phoenix family called 911 for help about their suicidal father, they didn’t think he’d be killed by police. Now, the family plans to sue the Phoenix Police Department and the City of Phoenix.
On the morning of October 2, Victor Altamirano’s daughters told ABC15 their dad was feeling suicidal.
Melissa German, one of Altamirano’s daughters, usually drops off her daughter with her parents but her father wasn’t there to greet her at the door that morning, which she said was unusual. She found out from her mother that her dad, Altamirano, was feeling suicidal.
“He said, ‘Call for help, because I'm not okay, I'm not feeling it, I don't want to be here no more,” she recalled, asking her father what to do since she didn’t want to leave her daughter there at that point.
Eventually, Melissa said her dad grabbed a knife and she was on the phone with 911, asking for police to come. On that call with 911, Melissa told the operator that her dad said he wouldn’t go down without a fight.
When police came on scene, according to police body camera video, the family told officers he had a violent past, but it had been a while since he did anything. His daughters told ABC15 he never voiced any thoughts of suicide before that day.
As police spoke with family, body camera footage showed Altamirano running out; police said he had a knife.
“There was never any contact by officers with that individual in the house to begin any sort of that negotiation or those sorts of contacts,” Sgt. Robert Scherer, with Phoenix Police, said in a news briefing on October 2.
According to the body cam footage, Altamirano told officers he wanted to die and to kill him. At one point, police say Altamirano “charged” at them with the knife above his head. Officers repeatedly told Altamirano to drop the knife and get on the ground.
After multiple attempts of trying to get Altamirano to stop moving, officers then fired less-lethal rounds. In the body camera footage, Altamirano is seen trying to walk away when officers continued to fire shots from less-lethal as well as their handguns.
"They didn't even ask if you are okay, this is not the way to do it. They didn't try at all. They just opened fire,” Elizabeth German said, Altamirano’s oldest daughter.
“Why they showed up to a mental health call and started shooting is beyond me,” said Richard Lyons, an attorney for Altamirano’s family.
Lyons, on behalf of the Altamirano family, served a notice of claim to the City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department on Monday, saying Altamirano’s constitutional rights were violated and it was a wrongful death.
“It is not the police’s job to show up to a mental health call to someone who needs help. They want to be shot. It’s not their job to shoot and kill them. He was not a threat to anybody,” Lyons said.
His daughters are hoping the Phoenix Police Department takes accountability.
Just a day before the shooting, which there were two police-involved shootings on October 2, Police Chief Matt Giordano said they’re working on more solutions. He acknowledged that there had been quite a few officer-involved shootings since he took on the role.
“The stress this brings and the impact it has on both employees involved as well as members of the community involved is not lost on me,” he said in the same police briefing the morning of October 2. “The impact is great. I'm committed to continuing our training and crisis intervention, less lethal options, distance and cover, to hopefully resolve situations like this in a peaceful, safe manner, to make sure people get the help they need.”
ABC15 reached out to Phoenix Police about Monday’s development with the family. A spokesperson said they do not comment on pending litigation.
“If I had not called the cops that day, would my dad still be here? If I just gave him a hug and told him everything is okay? But, no. He's not here, and we called the cops and they took him,” Melissa said.
