The Pima County Regional Critical Incident Team has been called in to investigate a deputy’s fatal shooting of a 44-year-old man who was holding a hostage at knifepoint, authorities said.
According to a news release from the team, known as PRCIT:
The incident took place on April 19, just after 9 a.m., when a resident in the 15100 block of North Bowman Road called 911 to report a burglary in progress. The caller said an armed man had broken into an occupied home and was holding a hostage at knifepoint.
When the first Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputy arrived, he noticed the suspect struggling with the hostage victim just outside the home, he reported. The suspect, while still armed, put both arms around the hostage’s neck and refused to comply with the officer’s commands, a PRCIT news release said.
The suspect then raised the knife he had been holding toward the hostage, prompting the deputy to fire his rifle, striking him.
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The deputy immediately requested medical assistance. Golder Ranch Fire Department personnel responded.
The suspect, identified as 44-year-old Joseph Mudd III, was pronounced dead at the scene.
The victim who was held hostage was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries that authorities said were caused by the suspect.
No deputies or other community members were injured.
The deputy who fired his rifle was Benjamin Bateman, who has been with the Pima County Sheriff’s Department for more than a year.
As part of PRCIT, the Tucson Police Department and the Marana Police Department have been assigned primary responsibility for the criminal investigation of the incident.
The Pima County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a separate administrative investigation to examine the actions of its personnel. As is standard practice with all PRCIT investigations, all findings will be presented to the Pima County Attorney’s Office when the investigation is complete.