In the early morning hours of June 1, 2024, a call about a disturbance at a home in the community of Santan within the Gila River Indian Community shattered the predawn quiet. Responding to the scene was Gila River Police Officer Joshua Briese, a 23-year-old male who had been with the department for less than a year and was still in field training. He arrived with his training partner to find a large and chaotic crowd.
Suddenly, the tense atmosphere erupted into violence as multiple gunshots were fired. In the ensuing chaos, Officer Briese and his partner were struck by the gunfire, along with four other individuals from the crowd. All six were rushed to local hospitals, but tragically, Officer Briese succumbed to his injuries. Another individual, a 23-year-old woman named Alicen Apkaw, also died as a result of the shooting. The second officer was left in serious but stable condition.
The investigation into the deadly shooting was swiftly taken over by the FBI in conjunction with the Gila River Police Department. Within a day of the incident, two male suspects, one adult and one juvenile, were taken into custody. Both had sustained injuries during the event and were receiving medical care. One of the individuals taken into custody has since been charged in connection with Officer Briese's death and has entered a plea of not guilty, with a trial expected to begin in the following year. The tragic death of the young officer, who was following in the footsteps of his father, a deputy sheriff who also died in the line of duty years earlier, prompted the Gila River Indian Community Council to issue a temporary ban on all dances and house parties.
