Christian Diaz Rendon demands criminal charges against Phoenix Police Officer Jason Valenzuela
“Christian did what the Phoenix Police should have done: He disarmed and subdued the intruder while protecting everyone inside the home.”
That is the message from the family of Christian Diaz Rendon, who say he was wrongly killed by Phoenix Police Officer Jason Valenzuela after Diaz Rendon disarmed an armed intruder who had fired shots at the family’s home and then broken inside.
The family is now demanding criminal charges against Valenzuela. Attorney David Chami translated a statement from Diaz Rendon’s partner, Mariana Gonzales, making that plea.
Last week, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell declined to charge the officer, saying she did not believe there was a reasonable likelihood of conviction.
But Chami argues Valenzuela should have faced a negligent homicide charge under Arizona law and says Mitchell’s decision was driven more by politics than legal analysis.
