Scottsdale police share video footage of traffic stop shooting
Mar 27, 2024, 4:25 AM | Updated: 2:26 pm
PHOENIX — New footage showing a fatal traffic stop shooting between a man suspected of stealing a vehicle and Scottsdale police was released Tuesday.
Police said the shooting last Thursday took place after officers attempted a traffic stop on 52-year-old Laquanza Young, who was driving a stolen vehicle during rush hour.
The shooting took place just after 5:30 p.m. near Scottsdale and Cactus Road, police said.
Young allegedly exited his vehicle and fired multiple rounds from his firearm at police. Two officers shot back, fatally shooting him, Scottsdale police said.
Gunfire struck the officers’ vehicles as well as a civilian’s vehicle, police said.
How police got the footage showing the traffic stop shooting
The real-time crime center footage came from a traffic camera from the city of Scottsdale, police said.
The video, which is 58 seconds long, has no sound. It does, however, have a graphic content warning at the beginning.
RELATED STORIES
An announcement from Scottsdale PD explained the footage.
“Our officers attempted a traffic stop on the reported stolen vehicle when no other vehicles were in front,” Sgt. Allison Sempsis said in a statement.
“The vehicle unexpectedly came to an immediate stop prior to entering the intersection, and the driver came out of the vehicle, shooting at the officers,” she said. “Our officers were forced to return fire to protect themselves and the surrounding community.”
The Scottsdale Police Department said it will release a critical incident briefing about the incident in the next 30 days.
These videos, which have audio, often have officers speaking to the camera and explaining the shootings, as well as text and video footage.
No further details were released.
Correction: This story originally described Young as a carjacking suspect. However, Scottsdale authorities told KTAR News 92.3 FM the vehicle was reported stolen out of Phoenix and Young ended up being the driver. The story has been updated to remove references to carjacking.
