Late night Phoenix bar brawl kills a young man, PD says

PHOENIX - A late-night brawl at a downtown Phoenix bar claimed the life of a 22-year-old man, the Phoenix Police Department said.

What we know:

On March 16, at around 2:30 a.m., two off-duty Phoenix Police officers were working as security guards at an unnamed bar near Central Avenue and McKinley Street.

"During their shift, a large fight broke out between multiple individuals on the street, just outside the business. Officers worked to diffuse the fight when they were alerted by witnesses to a man, later identified as 22-year-old Rafael Montoya, lying on the ground. An officer assessed Montoya and noted he was breathing but unconscious with injuries to his head," said Phoenix Police Sgt. Phil Krynsky in a March 19 news release.

Montoya was rushed to the hospital with severe head trauma. Three days later, on March 19, he died from his injuries in the hospital.

Investigators spoke with witnesses and searched for video evidence. Several people involved in the fight were interviewed and released.

No arrests have been made yet, Sgt. Krynsky said.

"Detectives believe there are more individuals out there who possibly captured video footage of the incident. The Department is asking those individuals to come forward and share that footage with investigators," Sgt. Krynsky said.

What you can do:

A GoFundMe page was set up for Montoya. You can contribute here. 

You can click here to submit video evidence.

Anyone with information should contact Silent Witness at 480-WITNESS. Spanish speakers can call Testigo Silencioso at 480-TESTIGO. Si tiene alguna información sobre este caso, llame a la línea de Testigo Silencioso (480-TESTIGO, 480-837-8446). You can remain anonymous.