Body cam video in Arizona trooper’s death won’t be released, judge orders

PHOENIX — A judge has barred the public release of body-camera videos taken by police officers who responded to a struggle along Interstate 10 in which an Arizona state trooper was killed.

Judge Warren Granville made the ruling Tuesday in the case of Isaac King, a 20-year-old man who was charged with first-degree murder of the Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper Tyler Edenhofer.

Edenhofer was killed during a late-night struggle along Interstate 10 in Avondale in July. King has pleaded not guilty to the charges. He is also accused of wounding two other troopers.

Granville said in his ruling that Arizona law recognizes a strong policy of open access to public records, but he also raised the issue of fair-trial rights, arguing that potential jurors would be exposed to excerpts of the videos if it were released.

The struggle on July 25 began after the Arizona Department of Public Safety received several calls from citizens about King, who was walking in the eastbound traffic lanes of the highway near Dysart Road in Avondale.

Edenhofer, 24, and his field training instructor trooper Sean Rodecap were the first to respond to the calls. Trooper Dalin Dorris also responded to the calls after a driver reported that someone had thrown a rock at his vehicle and shattered his window.

Court documents showed that Dorris was the first person to locate King and called for an additional unit to respond for assistance.

When Edenhofer and Rodecap arrived on scene minutes later, King was allegedly fighting Dorris within a ravine near the I-10. King then reportedly also fought Edenhofer and Rodecap.

Authorities said officers grappled with King, who lives in Avondale, for several minutes before he fired two shots from Rodecap’s service weapon.

Dorris and Rodecap were also transported to local hospitals for their injuries, but were released shortly after. King was admitted to St. Joseph’s Medical Center in Phoenix for treatment for his injuries and was in a medically induced coma for a time.

King had a history of mental illness, according to Col. Frank Milstead, having had taken medication for anxiety and depression. He did not have a criminal history.

Court documents said that King was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of the shooting. The court documents did not specify what King was alleged to be under the influence of.

The Associated Press contributed to this report. 

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