A Tohono O'odham Nation police officer killed in the line of duty Thursday was run over by his own patrol vehicle that had been stolen by a man armed with a broken bottle, a court document states.
Officer Bryan Brown, a 19-year-veteran of the force, managed to fire his gun as the vehicle bore down on him, according to a federal complaint filed Friday.
Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, who is in his late 30s, is facing a murder charge in the incident that occurred near the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, a community about two hours west of Tucson.
The complaint states that when Brown arrived at the casino he encountered Galvan, who was standing outside his 1999 Crown Victoria holding a broken bottle. As Galvan approached, Brown backed away from his patrol vehicle.
The complaint said Galvan stole Brown's vehicle and drove away on Arizona 86, only to turn the vehicle around. He then crashed into a marked Border Patrol vehicle, violently spinning the vehicle around, then drove toward and struck the police officer and ran him over. Before being hit, Brown fired at Galvan, the document said.
Galvan was injured in the incident, but the complaint only said the injury was to his neck. He was flown to a hospital in Phoenix. In addition to the murder charge, Galvan is facing three charges of assaulting a federal officer.
Brown, an Army veteran who also served as a school resource officer for the Baboquivari Unified School District, was flown to a hospital in Phoenix, where he was pronounced dead.
Galvan, a member of the Pascua Yaqui Tribe, later told investigators that he was "high on meth" and had been awake for days, the complaint says.
"Galvan stated that he remembered backing up into an officer. Galvan then said that he was spooked from hitting the officer and then took off. Galvan stated that he knew it was an officer that he backed into ... , the complaint says.
As he fled from the scene in Brown's patrol vehicle westbound on Arizona 86, Galvan struck another marked Border Patrol vehicle and then hit an unmarked Border Patrol vehicle. Galvan's vehicle rammed the two Border Patrol vehicles several times before coming to a stop. He was taken into custody by Border Patrol agents and a Tohono O'odham police lieutenant.
Initial reports said Brown and other law enforcement officers were sent to the area because of an "armed and erratic" driver.
Why, a community of less than 200 people 30 miles north of the Mexico border, is about 120 miles west of Tucson on Arizona 86.
“On behalf of the Tohono O’odham Nation, we offer our deepest condolences to the family, friends and colleagues of Officer Bryan Brown. Today, we not only commemorate his tragic passing, but honor and remember him as he lived. We are grateful for his selfless dedication to serving and protecting our communities. His commitment made us all safer, said Tohono O’odham Nation Chairman Ned Norris Jr. “Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers.”
Brown is survived by his wife, seven children, four stepchildren, eight grandchildren, seven siblings and his father.
