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Mother demands police mental health reform in AZ
Attorneys outline a lawsuit against Chandler police, detailing how an officer-in-training fired four shots at a man experiencing a severe crisis.
CHANDLER, Ariz. - A Chandler mother is speaking out after the death of her 27-year-old son, who was shot and killed by Chandler police. The fatal shooting happened in March of last year, and the family is suing the department, saying police protocol needs to change.
Police called Messiah McMillan a knife-wielding man on the day he was shot. But his family insists there is another side to the story, describing a young man suffering from schizophrenia who needed help. Their lawsuit raises questions about how the department handles these emergencies.
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Police ID man shot and killed by Chandler Police
Officials say 27-year-old Messiah McMillian died in the hospital after he was shot by Chandler Police during a domestic violence call on March 20. (3/21/25 report)
The backstory:
On March 20, Kelly Woods called 911 because her son, Messiah McMillan, was having a severe psychiatric episode outside his grandmother’s Chandler home. She explicitly asked for a specialized crisis intervention team.
"When she called 911, she was very careful to let the dispatch operator know of Messiah's mental health conditions, and she specifically requested a crisis response team," attorney Rob McTavish said.
Instead, a standard patrol unit arrived, including an officer-in-training with only four months on the job. When officers arrived, they found McMillan barefoot and shirtless, pacing in circles and holding a small kitchen knife. Within just 29 seconds of making contact with McMillan, the rookie officer shot him four times.
"This is someone who's clearly in crisis, who's mumbling, who's very confused," attorney Nawal Ramay said. "He's holding a small kitchen knife that's literally pointed towards him. Outwardly, there seems to be no threat to anyone else around him."
What they're saying:
The lawsuit also details a disturbing delay in medical care, alleging officers waited nearly three minutes to administer CPR while McMillan bled out on the pavement. For his mother, the pain of that day remains what she calls a life sentence.
"My son didn't deserve that," mother Kelly Woods said. "I want to see justice for my son. And I want to see policy and protocol changed, the way they approach a mental health call. He didn't have to die like that."
What we don't know:
The names of the officers involved in the shooting have not been released.
The other side:
The Maricopa County Attorney's Office cleared the officer of criminal charges, and so far Chandler police refuse to release the body cam footage of those critical 30 seconds.
FOX 10 reached out to Chandler police for comment on June 10, but they declined due to the pending litigation.
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Kelly Woods, Rob McTavish, Nawal Ramay, a 911 emergency call, past FOX 10 reporting, court documents, and the Maricopa County Attorney's Office.