Tucson police have released footage of the October shooting at a midtown park that resulted in a man and a police dog being shot.
The Oct. 8 incident started when Johnathon Drattlo, 37, called 911 indicating he was at Reid Park armed with a handgun and intended to die by suicide, the video report from Pima Regional Critical Incident Team shows.
“I don’t want help. Just send the coroner,” Drattlo says before hanging up on the dispatcher.
Mental health professionals tried to de-escalate the situation by phone while officers rushed to the park near East 22nd Street and South Country Club Road, the release said. Meanwhile, other callers to 911 said they heard gunfire at the park, police have said.
Bodycam footage in the PCIR report shows Tucson police officers arriving at Reid Park to initially evacuate others from the area. One TPD officer can be heard through bodycam footage telling people throwing a party at the park that “there’s a dude with a gun in the park,” and they “probably need to shut this down and call it a night.”
Before the shooting occurred, officers located Drattlo and attempted to de-escalate.
“Just stop walking, that’s all I’m asking,” an officer can be heard saying. “John, just put the gun on the ground bro, I’m not going to come at you.”
Negotiations lasted for about two hours, police say, while Drattlo hid from officers behind a tree before moving away from officers and towards an open area.
Raven
To “constrain his movements,” a K-9 unit was deployed, police say, when Drattlo “raised his handgun and began shooting in the direction” of officers, striking Raven, the department’s 3-year-old German shepherd.
“At approximately the same time, three officers discharged their department issued rifles, striking the suspect,” police say. Bodycam footage shows Raven released by officers and running towards the area of the park Drattlo is located in. Gunfire be heard in the distance before an array of shots occurs.
Officers Daniel Lee, a 10-year veteran with TPD, Kyle Walker, and Eduardo Valenzuela, both with 8 years in the department, fired their weapons in the incident.
Drattlo was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries. The K9 officer, Raven, had emergency surgery and has recuperated.
Criminal charges against Mr. Drattlo are “forthcoming,” police say.
