Mesa police officers shoot, kill man who tried to flee during traffic stop

Police officers shot and killed a man who tried to flee after a traffic stop in Mesa early Tuesday, authorities said.

Officers pulled over a vehicle and questioned the occupants near Extension Road and University Drive about 1:40 a.m., according to the Mesa Police Department. The department did not say why the traffic stop was initiated.

Mesa Police are investigating a critical incident an officer in the area of 6th St and Country Club. The scene is active and the public is asked to avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/x2Tk51Sg5M

— Mesa Police Dept. (@MesaPD) October 27, 2026

The vehicle drove off in the middle of the interaction with police but was spotted less than a mile away near Country Club Drive and Sixth Street.

The man who had been driving was seen running away. Two officers shot him just before 2 a.m., police said.

He was pronounced dead at the scene, and a gun was found near him, police said. No officers were injured.

The Gilbert Police Department is leading the investigation into the police shooting as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team.

Here is the full text of the initial Mesa Police Department news release about the incident:

At approximately 1:42 a.m., Mesa Police officers conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle near Extension Road and University Drive. Officers contacted the occupants, and during questioning, the vehicle fled the traffic stop.

Officers later located the vehicle a second time near Country Club Drive and 6th Street in Mesa. The male driver was seen running from the area.

At approximately 1:58 a.m., two Mesa Police officers discharged their firearms, striking the subject. The subject was pronounced deceased at the scene by medical personnel. Officers located a firearm near the subject.

No officers or other community members were injured during the incident.

The Officer-Involved Shooting connected to this incident is being investigated by the East Valley Critical Incident response Team (EVCIRT), with the Gilbert Police Department serving as the primary investigating agency.

A Critical Incident Briefing Video will be released at the conclusion of their investigation.

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