On Wednesday, July 19, 2023, following an investigation by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) Major Incidents Division (MID), a jury found a suspect in a police-involved shooting in April 2022 on 11 counts, including first attempt. pleaded guilty to. – Degree of murder and aggravated assault on law enforcement.
The incident occurred on April 1, 2022, when AZDPS detectives tried to stop the driver of Kingman’s BMW sedan after he failed to stop at a stop sign. The suspect driver was later identified as Juan Manuel Rodriguez, a resident of Lake Havasu, but he persisted and the pursuit continued.
During the chase, Rodriguez tried to ram the detective’s car. Rodriguez then lost control of him and detectives crashed into the front of the vehicle. The detective pulled out his duty handgun and initiated a high-risk traffic stop. Rodriguez disobeyed his orders and began to reach his hand under the dash.
The BMW began to back up and the detectives returned to the patrol car for fear of being rear-ended again. Rodriguez began firing at the detective with an automatic rifle, as heard from the body-mounted camera footage. Detectives fought back for his safety and tried to flee the scene.
Rodriguez’s car crashed into a fleeing detective vehicle. Rodriguez got behind the fleeing detectives and began firing into the back of the police vehicle. The detective fired back through the rear window. During the exchange, the detective was hit in the back by a bullet fired from a chasing BMW. The two vehicles eventually separated and detectives were able to reach a safe location for medical attention. The detective was taken from the scene by the Mojave County Sheriff to a local hospital, where he was treated and his injuries healed.
Rodriguez was also wounded in the shootout and drove to a nearby desert area, where his BMW was rendered inoperable. A crew member of the AZDPS Ranger helicopter tracked Rodriguez down and observed Rodriguez placing the bag in the washing machine and walking towards the nearby Mojave County Community College campus, collapsing before reaching the school building. Rodriguez was taken into custody without incident and was sent to prison after being taken to a hospital for treatment.
A bag that Rodriguez tried to hide in the desert was recovered and found to contain $34,504 in cash, over 11 grams of fentanyl and 10 grams of methamphetamine. Five firearms, including a fully automatic pistol and an Uzi, were also recovered, along with multiple drug registers and additional cash.
On July 19, a jury found Rodriguez guilty of 11 counts, including:
- First-degree attempted murder
- aggravated assault
- Possession of drugs for sale
- Possession of dangerous drugs for sale
- illegal flight
- money laundering
- aggravated assault
- aggravated assault
- drive by shooting
- Firing firearms in non-residential buildings
- Illegal act with a weapon
We are pleased to report that Detective Shedd has made a full recovery and has returned to duty.
In 2022, Arizona passed House Bill 2650, which requires independent investigations into shootings and other incidents of police violence involving police officers. This bill amends Arizona Revised Law 41-1742 and outlines the guidelines for the DPS Serious Incidents Division. For more information on MID, please visit: www.azdps.gov/organization/mid.
