PHOENIX — Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced Thursday her office will not charge the Phoenix police officer who shot and killed a homeowner who had disarmed a gunman in January.
36-year-old Christian Diaz Rendon died January 26th after his family and neighbors called Phoenix police to the neighborhood near 75th Avenue and Lower Buckeye Road, as someone who didn’t live in the neighborhood was shooting and eventually making his way inside Rendon's home.
"We don't know who it is. Somebody's at our house, and they are shooting at us." One caller stated. "We have kids here. They shot my brother in his ankle."
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Diaz Rendon was in a fight, disarming the suspect when police arrived. One officer from outside the home shot through the open front door at the two men struggling. The shooting happened just after 6 p.m, hitting and killing Diaz Rendon.
Body camera video was released two weeks later.
On Thursday, County Attorney Mitchell said her decision was based on her office’s standard of finding a reasonable likelihood of conviction if they were to charge the case.
Diaz’s family has filed a notice of claim against the city and has called for the officer to be criminally prosecuted.
Following Thursday's announcement, the Diaz Family provided the following statement to ABC15:
"The family is absolutely devastated by the County Attorney’s decision not to charge the officer. While the family did not expect a murder charge, the family absolutely expected the officer to be charged with Reckless Endangerment. In Arizona, reckless endangerment (A.R.S. §13-1201) occurs when a person recklessly puts another in substantial risk of imminent death or physical injury. The actions of the officer absolutely fit that definition." -David Chami
The Phoenix Police Department released the following statement on Friday:
We are aware that the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office has completed its review of the January 26, 2026, incident involving Officer Valenzuela. The County Attorney determined that the actions of the officer do not warrant criminal prosecution.
This was a tragic incident that deeply impacted our entire community — the family involved, the neighborhood, our officers and everyone who has followed this case. The first phase of this process was the criminal investigation conducted by DPS, which has now concluded and been formally reviewed.
The next phase will be our administrative investigation. That investigation, which is ongoing, will focus on whether the actions of the officer followed our policies and training, and will look at all available evidence. Officer Valenzuela continues to be employed with the Phoenix Police Department and is currently serving in an administrative role.
We remain committed to transparency, accountability, and doing the work necessary to maintain the trust that has been placed in us.
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