Bodycam shows Phoenix police shoot Donald Ward-officer shooting Fatality-domestic violence gun crime

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Phoenix, Arizona – On June 16, 2020, shortly before 9 p.m., bodycam video shows officers of the Mountain View and Cactus Park Precincts of The Phoenix Police Department responding to multiple 911 calls at an apartment complex near 23rd Avenue & Indian School Rd that resulted in the shooting death of 27-year-old Donald Ward.

Multiple 911 callers said Ward and a woman were fighting inside an apartment. One of those callers included the female victim of the domestic dispute and she could be heard pleading for her life and screaming. The phone line remained open for several minutes as the victim continued to plead for her life. Additionally, the dispatcher believed gunshots had been fired, and this was also reported by at least one other caller. When the first two officers arrived on scene, body cam video shows they attempted to make contact with the people inside the apartment. No one answered the door, so the officers began evacuations of neighboring apartments for their safety.

The officers then met with additional responding officers to develop a plan to make contact. That's when they heard a shot from inside of the apartment. The officers then approached the door again and began making announcements, asking the people inside to come out. The officers got no response from Ward or the female caller.

Based on the 911 call and the gun shots, they decided to force entry to the apartment to rescue the victim. As the officers were working their way through the apartment, bodycam video shows what looked like bullet holes in the walls. Once inside the officers approached a closed bedroom door and forced it open. As they entered the bedroom, they saw a closed bathroom door as well. As the officers were outside of the bathroom door, they could hear the female pleading for help.

While forcing the door open, the officers heard the female screaming that he had a gun to her face and they heard a gunshot. Body cam video shows officers returning fire, striking Ward. During the encounter, the victim was able to lay on the ground, and two of the officers were able to position themselves between the woman and Ward. The victim was not injured by any gunfire, and there were no injuries to any other community members or officers.

Donald Ward was pronounced deceased at the scene.

The woman had been dating Ward for several months and there was a previous history of domestic violence.