Police release name of man killed when his gun went off as Phoenix officer tried to subdue him

PHOENIX – Authorities released the name of a suspect who was killed this week when his gun went of while an officer was trying to subdue him in Phoenix.

Dylan Rockford Fohrenkam, 34, died and an officer suffered a gunshot wound during the incident on Monday, Feb. 23, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Officers responded to a call about a man pointing a gun at his daughters in the area of 15th Avenue and Atlanta Avenue, between Broadway Road and Southern Avenue, around 8:15 p.m.

Witnesses directed officers to a man who was later identified as Fohrenkam at a park across the street. When they approached the suspect, he left on his bicycle.

He discarded his bike a few blocks away and ran toward a home, police said.

An officer tried using a less-lethal tool to subdue Fohrenkam, but it wasn’t effective. Another officer then got behind the man and tackled him.

“As the officer and man fell forward to the ground, the suspect’s gun went off, striking the man and the officer,” Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez said in a media advisory.

Fohrenkam was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The officer was treated at a hospital for an injury that isn’t considered life-threatening and released.

The investigation into the incident is ongoing.

This is an updated version of a story originally posted on Feb. 24, 2026.

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