In the pre-dawn hours of May 30, 2015, in the Verde Village area near Cottonwood, Arizona, the life of 18-year-old Ebin Lamont Proctor was cut short in a fatal encounter with law enforcement. The incident began with a routine traffic stop initiated by a Yavapai County Sheriff's deputy around 4:09 a.m. for a traffic violation involving a Jeep SUV in which Proctor was a passenger along with five other individuals.
A second deputy arrived to assist, and as the six occupants were being questioned, Proctor fled the scene on foot.
Yavapai County Sheriff's deputy Steven Gorman, who was 26 at the time, pursued Proctor. The foot chase ended in a physical altercation in a nearby backyard. According to the deputy's account, a struggle ensued, and he feared for his life, stating that Proctor attempted to take his firearm. It was during this confrontation that Deputy Gorman discharged his weapon multiple times, fatally wounding Proctor. An autopsy later revealed that Proctor sustained seven gunshot wounds, with the majority located on the back of his head and neck. A Taser probe was also found attached to Proctor's shorts. The deputy sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the altercation.
The investigation into the shooting, conducted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety, revealed that Proctor had an outstanding felony warrant for his arrest at the time of the traffic stop, stemming from a probation violation related to a prior conviction for resisting arrest and aggravated assault on a police officer. A toxicology report indicated the presence of methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol in Proctor's system. The five other occupants of the Jeep were taken into investigative custody. The Yavapai County Attorney's Office reviewed the 337-page investigative report on the incident. Deputy Steven Gorman was identified as the officer who shot Proctor. The reports did not indicate that any charges were filed against the deputy.
