TEMPE, AZ — The Tempe Police Department announced Wednesday that it has sent the deadly police shooting involving a 14-year-old boy to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office for review.
Fourteen-year-old Antonio Arce was shot and killed January 15 by an officer who chased him in an alley after responding to reports of a vehicle burglary.
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Police say Officer Joseph Jaen "perceived a threat" and fired his gun, striking the boy in the shoulder. Arce was holding a weapon, which was later determined to be a replica airsoft gun.
Body camera video of the incident was released in January, showing Arce running from the officer at the end of the alley.
Arce's death has led to several protests at city council meetings and outside police headquarters as the family and others call for a reduction in the amount of violence by police.
A march is under way on Mill Avenue on the one month anniversary of the shooting death of a 14-year-old named Antonio Arce. The shooting is still being investigated and the officer who fired the fatal shot remains on leave. @abc15 pic.twitter.com/sKeyJylf2r
— Cameron Polom ABC (@cpolom) February 16, 2019
The county attorney's office reviews all officer-involved shootings and determines whether the officer's actions were justified or warrant criminal charges. Tempe police said there was no timeline for when the review would be completed.
