A man who was shot during an armed confrontation with police at a Tucson park earlier this month in which a police dog was shot and wounded faces multiple criminal charges, officials say.
The Oct. 8 incident started that night when Johnathon Drattlo, 37, called 911 to report that he was in crisis and armed with a gun in the southern portion of Reid Park, the Pima Regional Critical Incident Team said in a news release Tuesday evening.
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.
Officers found Drattlo, and he refused orders to drop the gun.
During a long negotiation, Drattlo ran to an open area of the park and opened fire, shooting a police dog. Three officers opened fire, wounding Drattlo, the news release said.
Drattlo remains hospitalized in stable condition.
The injured K-9, a 3-year-old German Shepard named Raven, is recovering after emergency surgery.
Officers who fired their guns have been identified as Daniel Lee; Kyle Walker; and Eduardo Valenzuela. All are veteran officers in TPD, the news release said.
Once Drattlo is released from the hospital, he will face multiple felony charges, the news release said.
The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team is a task force of regional police agencies that investigates law enforcement shootings. The Tucson Police Department is also conducting an internal investigation.
