In the summer of 2021, a sequence of events unfolded in a Phoenix, Arizona parking lot that culminated in the tragic death of William Alexander Brookins Sr. A 39-year-old Black man, Brookins would succumb to injuries sustained from a gunshot wound just days after the initial confrontation.
The incident took place on June 3, 2021, outside of a Rally's restaurant situated near 15th Avenue and Camelback Road.
An off-duty Phoenix police officer, who was in the vicinity directing traffic, heard a disturbance and went to investigate. Upon arriving at the parking lot, the officer discovered Brookins holding a man and a woman at gunpoint. It was later determined that these two individuals had been involved in a shoplifting incident at a nearby store, and Brookins had been following them in his SUV before confronting them.
The officer, who had been with the Phoenix Police Department for four years, drew his own weapon and issued commands for Brookins to drop his gun. According to reports, Brookins did not comply with the officer's orders, which led the officer to fire his weapon, striking Brookins.
Emergency services were called to the scene, and Brookins was transported to a local hospital for medical attention. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, William Alexander Brookins Sr. passed away from his injuries five days later, on June 8, 2021. Born in Southfield, Michigan, on October 24, 1981, his life was commemorated with a funeral service held on June 30, 2021, at the Thompson Funeral Chapel in Goodyear, Arizona. The investigation into the shooting and the preceding shoplifting incident was subsequently initiated.
