Ali Osman shooting: Officers won't be charged in man's death
PHOENIX - The Maricopa County Attorney's Office will not charge officers in connection to a police shooting in 2022 that left a man dead.
The shooting, which happened in September, happened amid an ongoing U.S. Department of Justice investigation into the Phoenix Police Department over claims that there is a pattern of officers violating residents' constitutional rights, including engaging in discriminatory policing and using excessive force.
Here's what you should know about the case.
What happened?
The shooting happened in the area of 19th and Glendale Avenues on September 24, 2022.
According to Phoenix Police statements at the time, officers were leaving the scene of an unrelated incident when their cars were allegedly struck by ‘unknown items causing damage.’
The officers later returned to the intersection, where they found the suspect, since identified as Ali Osman.
Body-camera footage showed Osman throwing rocks at the officers, who told him to stop before they opened fire.
"Turned in the parking lot, heard four shots - pow pow pow pow," said Ron Dawlatzai, who was in the area when the shooting happened.
Osman later died from his injuries at the hospital. No officers were hurt.
Did police release body camera video of the shooting?
Yes.
Police released body camera video of the incident in October 2022.
(Click here to watch. The video may be disturbing for some due to use of foul language and graphic imagery. Viewer discretion is advised)
In one portion of the video, officers were seen telling Osman to drop the rock before Osman apparently made a throwing motion, and that was when an officer fired on Osman.
After the shooting, Osman was seen moving on the ground, and officers were heard telling Osman to stay down on the ground. Officers were later seen providing medical aid to Osman, and requested additional help from the fire department.
Who were the officers involved?
The officers were identified by Phoenix Police as a two-year veteran and a two-and-a-half-year veteran of the department.
The officers are still on the Phoenix Police force.
Why is MCAO not charging the officers?
No charges for officers who shot a man dead
On May 17, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell announced that her office has decided to not charge two Phoenix Police officers who were involved in a deadly shooting that happened in 2022. That shooting took the life of Ali Osman, and is the subject of a potential lawsuit. FOX 10's Marissa Sarbak reports.
During a news conference on May 17, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said her officer will not press criminal charges against the two officers listed above.
"The question in this case was whether the officers were justified to shoot under Arizona law," said County Attorney Mitchell. "These laws say that a person is legally justified in using deadly force when that person believes that it is necessary to defend themselves or a third person from the use of deadly physical force."
County Attorney Mitchell said the rocks Osman threw posed a serious threat to other people and the responding officers, and her office does not believe there is a reasonable likelihood for conviction.
"These rocks could easily have caused a crash, gone through the window of a vehicle, or caused serious physical injury or even death, if they struck an officer or bystander," said County Attorney Mitchell. "The officers took swift action to deal with the danger that his actions posed to the safety of the community."
In response, the attorney for Osman's family, Quacy Smith, said he is disappointed in County Attorney Mitchell's decision.
"She, single-handedly, is the judge, jury and executioner," said Smith. "There have been four people that made a decision that the taking of Ali Osman's life did not warrant criminal charges. Four people: the two officers that shot, the chief that has done nothing, and the county attorney that has done nothing."
Have Osman's family members talked about the shooting?
Yes.
Osman, according to family members, was from Tucson, and was visiting family in Phoenix on the night of the incident.
"We need justice for Ali," said Osman's sister, Halima Osman, after the shooting. "What the officer tells me and what I see on the news is not much. When the officer called me, he told me Ali was shot in the chest."
"It's taken a lot from me," said close friend Loay Alyousfi. "You're taking a brother from me, which hurts a lot, so I just hope he gets justice."
Family members said Osman had no criminal history, and suffered from bipolar disorder, for which he was being treated.
"It's just wrong what they did. They keep telling us different stories. It just doesn’t add up," said Osman's niece, Ikram Aden. "We didn’t even receive an apology from them. They try to make it seem like he was in the wrong, but I know that my uncle isn’t that type of person."
Is Osman's family suing?
On October 14, 2022, we obtained documents that show an $85 million Notice of Claim being filed by the family.
According to the Notice of Claim, members of Osman's family are accusing Phoenix Police of Excessive Force in violation of the 4th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Violation of Equal Protection fo the law under the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Wrongful Death, Excessive Force, Battery, and negligence.
"If this offer is ignored or rejected, Claimants have authorized us to pursue legal action and seek the maximum recovery permitted by law, including an award for punitive damages," read a portion of the Notice of Claim.