In Phoenix, Arizona, a maintenance worker's life was cut tragically short in a violent encounter that ended in a second death. Todd Robert Landon, a 55-year-old man, was found with multiple gunshot wounds in a Phoenix apartment on May 15, 2017. He was a valued employee at the Lexington on Central apartment complex, where he had worked for the past six years. Known as a man who could fix anything, he was a plumber by trade and had previously worked for America West Airlines for many years.
His family and friends remembered him as a loving son, brother, uncle, and friend.
The investigation into Landon's death quickly led police to a suspect, 27-year-old Jonie Block. Immediately after the homicide, Block went to a nearby cafe where she sat for several hours. When an employee approached her about the bill, Block pointed a handgun at the employee and fled the scene. Her flight led her to the serene setting of the Japanese Friendship Garden inside Margaret T. Hance Park.
Police located Block in the garden, armed and sitting by herself. According to police reports, she threatened to harm herself and did not comply with officers' commands. As she began to walk away, officers, fearing for the safety of nearby citizens and other officers, opened fire. Block was struck and was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. The officer who fired the fatal shot was described as a 20-year veteran of the police force. In the aftermath, mourners left notes and flowers on Todd Landon's truck, a testament to the lives he had touched.
