Family Outraged and Seeking Justice After Fatal Phoenix Police Shooting

Phoenix police confirmed that officers fatally shot Imani Jackson following a traffic stop when he reached for his waistband.

PHOENIX — The family of Imani Jackson is demanding transparency after he was killed by Phoenix Police during an officer-involved shooting on Saturday.

Authorities identified Jackson, 46, as the individual shot by officers after allegedly reaching for his waistband during a confrontation.

“He took a lot of people’s hearts with him,” lamented Hunee Jones, Jackson’s niece.

A crowd gathered on Sunday evening at 25th Avenue and Buckeye Road, showing solidarity with Jackson’s family.

“Words can’t even describe how great he was,” said Jazmine Jackson, his daughter. “We just want clarity on what happened because his actions as described don’t match the man we knew.”

Police reports stated that on Saturday, around 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a call about a man reportedly threatening people with a gun near 27th Avenue and Van Buren Street.

The suspect fled in a car, which police stopped later at 25th Avenue and Buckeye Road.

Jackson got out of the car and, according to police, attempted to flee.

Surveillance footage captured Jackson walking with his hands up before reaching towards his waistband, prior to being shot by the officers.

“The suspect reached towards his waistband, which led to the officer-involved shooting. We did discover a gun at the scene,” stated Phoenix Police Sgt. Robert Scherer during a Saturday press conference.

Jackson succumbed to his injuries, and no one else was harmed in either incident.

Investigations are ongoing to determine if Jackson was indeed the suspect from the initial gun-related call.

“We are verifying connections between the two cases through forensic evidence, video analysis, and witness statements,” said Scherer.

Jackson’s family seeks more information about the incident, including body cam footage and the specifics of the shooting.

“We need to know the circumstances of his death, including how many times he was shot,” Jones stated.

The family is deeply troubled, believing non-lethal measures could have been used.

“This tragedy could have been avoided if they had used a taser or another non-lethal method,” expressed Jazmine Jackson.