Audio By Carbonatix
The second suicidal man shot by officers from the Mesa Police Department in less than a week has been identified.
The deceased is 59-year-old Douglas Watson.
Unlike the shooting of a domestic violence suspect by a Phoenix police officer earlier this week, it seems the Mesa officer were justified in shooting Watson.
Police got a call to a home in the 700 block of West Farmdale Drive. When they got to the scene, they found Watson with a gun.
When news happens, Phoenix New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
While talking with police, Watson repeatedly pointed a gun at officers.
Police first shot him with bean bags. That didn’t do the trick — the
guy continued to point his gun at officers, so they shot him with rubber
bullets. The rubber bullets weren’t enough, either.
After continuing to point his gun at police, officers shot him with real bullets. He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
This is the second time a Mesa police officer has shot someone threatening suicide in the last week.
In another case, a suicidal man with a machete attacked an officer. He was shot by another cop before he was able to hit the officer.
