Tyler Moldovan case: Trial starts for man accused of shooting Phoenix police officer
PHOENIX - The trial for a man accused of shooting a Phoenix police officer eight times began on July 15.
What we know:
Essa Williams is facing multiple charges, including attempted first-degree murder, for allegedly shooting Officer Moldovan.
Essa Kolareh Eugene Williams
The backstory:
Back in December 2021, Moldovan and his partner, Zach Johnson, responded to a call about a car doing donuts near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road. They were searching in a nearby apartment complex when Moldovan was shot eight times, including once in the head.
Phoenix Police Officer Tyler Moldovan
Moldovan, who was 22 years old at the time, had only been on the force for nine months at the time. He survived but sustained serious injuries, including brain damage, and was hospitalized for several months.
Despite the odds, he survived and has made a few public appearances, including throwing out the ceremonial first pitch at the D-backs home opener in 2023 and again during the World Series at Chase Field later that year.
What Happened Wednesday:
The mood was heavy in the courtroom as the jury watched Officer Tyler Moldovan’s body camera video of the incident, along with surveillance video.
The prosecution relied heavily on both videos in the opening statements. The state argued Moldovan found Williams hiding on a patio. When Moldovan asked him to come out and show his hands, prosecutors say Williams hid his right hand, repeatedly asked "Are you going to lock me up," and then fired 15 shots and tried to take the officer’s gun out of its holster.
The other side:
Williams’ attorneys, meanwhile, are claiming self-defense. They argue a disorganized police squad botched the response to a minor traffic call.
They say Moldovan approached Williams in the dark without backup, never identified himself as police, and grabbed him, causing Williams to react out of fear.
Dig deeper:
Officer Moldovan himself took the stand on Wednesday. News cameras were not allowed to film his face, but it was easy to hear the emotion in his voice when he described his brother visiting him in the hospital in March, which was his very first memory after the incident.
"When I was at Craig Hospital in Denver, Colorado, my brother – sorry, my brother came to visit me. My brother it came to visit me in Denver," Moldovan said in court, sounding emotional at times.
Williams’ attorney also pushed multiple times for a mistrial on claims of racial bias, which the judge denied. He confronted the judge over the voice used in the prosecution’s quoting of Williams in the body camera video.
"All of this evidence brings us back to the defendant's own words. What y'all gonna do? You gonna lock me up? That's what the defendant said before he pulled his gun and unloaded 15 rounds at Officer Moldovan," a prosecutor stated, imitating Williams' words in the video.
"This is now demonstrating your bias. How you could possibly proceed with this trial with this racial inflammatory...racism. And that you’re gonna stand for it… it breaks my heart that I would have to be a lawyer practicing in a court like this," Williams' attorney argued.
What's next:
The trial resumes at 10:30 a.m. on July 16.
Map of where the shooting happened:
The Source: Information in this report was gathered from Phoenix police, prosecutors, Williams' defense attorneys, Officer Tyler Moldovan, and FOX 10 reporting.