Fiance of man killed in Gilbert officer involved shooting speaks out
GILBERT, Ariz. (KSAZ) - Gilbert Police officials have released body camera video surrounding the shooting death of an MCSO detention officer earlier this year.
The incident, which resulted in the death of 37-year-old Joshua Kinnard, happened on the night of February 26, on the 3900 block of E. Encinas. At the time, officials say police were called to the area for a man who was not feeling well and was acting erratically. Two officers spent nearly 30 minutes talking to Kinnard, in an effort to de-escalate the situation. Kinnard was on medical leave from his position as an MCSO detention officer.
According to police, Kinnard accessed a rifle as officers were speaking with his fiance, made the rifle ready to fire, and pointed the rifle toward the officers. The officers, in response to a lethal threat, shot Kinnard. Visually, however, it is not clear from the body camera video.
Police officials say the department, following standard procedure, has provided the facts and evidence of the case to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which conducted a review. According to a conclusion by the County Attorney's Office, Gilbert Police officers did not commit any act which warrants criminal prosecution.
Earlier in the year, Kinnard's fiance, Maggie, told FOX 10 Phoenix that Kinnard had suffered from severe PTSD.
"There's not that a day that doesn't go by that I wish things didn't turn out differently for him," said Maggie.
For her, seeing the bodycam video was still not easy.
"I can see in that bodycam video how hard I tried to hold it together and protect my family, and in that video i saw it all fall apart and couldn't do anymore, I needed help," said Maggie, who went on to say the incident did not have to get to that point.
"We had police personnel who wanted to be more of a friend than be a person of authority who wanted to take charge of the situation, who wanted to do something to take care of Josh in his time of need, he was seriously struggling," said Maggie.
Officers had previously responded to Kinnard's home, but Maggie and her attorney, Joel Robbins, say their worried the officers were trying to "protect one of their own".
"You could've stopped him before he gets to the truck, you could've kept him in the house, you could've kept someone with him," said attorney Joel Robbins. "If you walk backwards of time, you see all the opportunities that were missed, when you look at the very end of it, there's nothing that could have been done other than shooting."