911 call to report domestic violence in Glendale ends in innocent man's death
GLENDALE, Ariz. - A 911 call to report domestic violence ended with an innocent man being shot to death by Glendale Police at the start of the year.
We're hearing from the woman who made the call to report she was the domestic violence victim.
She says her call for help was to keep her and her kids safe, and now she's calling for accountability after an innocent man was killed.
Domestic violence call leads to deadly Glendale Police shooting
Police say one person is dead and another is seriously injured in an officer-involved shooting in Glendale.
What they're saying:
"To come to find out, it was four times that they shot him. Yeah, that's excessive," Gisselle Borquez said.
She doesn't know Dillon Siebeck, the man shot and killed by Glendale Police the night of Jan. 8, but she called 911 for help because of a different man. She called to report her partner, Angelo, for domestic violence.
When officers arrived, they believed Siebeck was her partner. Police thought he was armed when he was shot multiple times.
Dillon Siebeck
Not only did the police have the wrong man, but he was also unarmed.
Borquez says a night that was already terrifying for her turned into an agonizing wait for information.
"What was going on at the park, I was very much left in the dark. The police officer that was with me in my home was letting me know that another situation happened in the park, but that they couldn't quite tell me yet because they were still trying to figure it out," she said.
‘Never did I imagine what it was gonna result in’
That information came to Borquez the next day, but through the news. Not the police.
"They had told me that somebody else from like the Peoria Police Department would be coming to speak to me and that did not happen," she said.
Borquez was left with a lot of process.
"I didn't know what to think. I didn't know what to do. You know, I had this sort of grief already happening and then to have the death of an innocent person going on as well, I didn't know how to feel. I remember feeling a lot of guilt because I'm the person that made the phone call and never did I imagine what it was gonna result in," Borquez said.
The investigating agency, the Peoria Police Department, said that the Maricopa County Attorney's Office declined charges in the officer-involved shooting, which Borquez says is unfair to Siebeck and his loved ones.
"Dillon had nothing to do with the situation. I mean, he was just at a park. So now you can't even sit at a park without worrying that, you know, just because something else is going on around you, now you could be involved and you could be murdered? I'm just so sorry to his family that they have to deal with that," Borquez said.
She wants to make sure something like this doesn't happen again.
"My biggest concern now is making sure this kind of tragedy doesn’t happen again," Borquez said. "We need real changes in how the police handle situations, especially when mental health is involved. This entire situation has left me feeling confused, guilty, and angry."
"The police are supposed to be trained professionals," Borquez said. "They are supposed to have protocols, a duty to serve and protect. I worry for victims of crimes that hearing this story will make them hesitant to rely on the police as they should be able to. The statement by the Glendale Police Department felt heavily edited, using my words to justify their actions against the wrong man, and I want to call for the release of the body camera footage of the officer who fired at Dillon. And to Dillon Siebeck's family, if there is anything I can do to help, I will."
What's next:
A law firm representing the interests of Siebeck called for accountability in this case after it happened.
FOX 10 reached out to see if that law firm intends to file a notice of claim to dispute the denied charges. We are still waiting to hear back.
As for Borquez's partner, Angelo, he died from self-inflicted injuries that night.
Resources for help:
Help is available. If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call or text 988. The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline provides free and confidential emotional support to civilians and veterans. Support in Spanish is also available. You can also chat with crisis counselors via online chat.
CLICK HERE for the warning signs and risk factors of suicide.
If you believe you are a victim of domestic violence, help is available. Call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233), or text START to 88788. A live online chat is also available.