Buckeye man accused of killing neighbor in property dispute
Javan Berry (Maricopa County Sheriff's Office)
BUCKEYE, Ariz. — A Buckeye man has been arrested in the fatal shooting of his neighbor over a property dispute.
On May 11 just after 6.p.m., the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office dispatch was contacted by the Buckeye Police Department who advised they had six officers at the scene of a trespassing call.
According to court paperwork, the Buckeye Police Department "gave further information that the original complainant, Javan Berry, stated there was a trespasser who ran off but then stated he had shot the trespasser and the person was deceased."
BPD says Berry and his uncle were in a truck, refusing to come out as the officers were requesting. When MCSO deputies arrived at the scene, they saw numerous BPD officers and their SWAT team in the area, along with Berry, who was sitting in the middle of the roadway.
Eventually, Berry's uncle exited the truck and was detained. MCSO says BPD SWAT later approached Berry in an armored vehicle and detained him without further incident just before 7 p.m.
Buckeye Fire Department medics attempted life-saving techniques on the victim, who was unresponsive with apparent gunshot wounds to his body.
In a post-Miranda interview, Berry, 48, told deputies that he was driving in the area of Sunrise Drive and Miller Road before they were contacted by the victim, identified as 51-year-old Richard Mladick, who was blocking the roadway with his truck.
Berry said Mladick yelled out racial slurs, threatened them and walked back to his truck.
According to court paperwork, Berry believed Mladick was going to get a gun from his vehicle. Berry said he retrieved his own gun and fired shots at Mladick’s legs but didn’t intend to kill him.
Authorities say Berry and Mladick had an ongoing conflict over property ownership.
Berry remains jailed in Phoenix on suspicion of second-degree murder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.