The Arizona Department of Public Safety’s investigation into an officer-involved shooting continues and isn’t expected to be completed until late winter or early spring.
“I am being told 60 to 90 days, which depends a lot on the time it takes for the toxicology results,” Sedona Police Chief Charles Husted said.
On Monday, Jan. 20 at 1:26 p.m., officers received a call from a resident on Newcastle Lane in Sedona that there was an unknown male on the property with a machete and a stick. The caller indicated that the male was yelling and screaming.
“At one point the caller looked out and said it appeared the male was slicing himself with the machete,” Husted said at the scene of the shooting. “Our officers arrived on the scene at 1:29 p.m. They engaged the subject and shots were fired at 1:32 p.m. The fire [district] was called for assistance and after their arrival declared the subject deceased at 1:40 p.m.”
The subject shot by officers was later identified as 41-year-old Jonathan David Messare of Sedona.
Two Sedona police officers, Sgt. Casey Pelletier and Officer William “Bill” Hunt, were placed on paid leave, which is standard procedure for officer-involved shootings. The leave allows officers to decompress and speak with investigators as required and counselors as needed.
Both officers were back on duty within two weeks of the shooting.
A message left for a DPS spokesman seeking comment on the status of the investigation was not returned by press time.
The Jan. 20 incident is believed to be the city’s first-ever officer-related shooting.
“Our officers are trained to de-escalate and negotiate with individuals,” Husted said. “Officers never want to have to use force, especially lethal force. This was the last resort for our officers.”
A resident of the street where the shooting occurred, who asked that his name not be used, was an eyewitness to most of the incident. A short time prior to the shooting he said Messare was making noise outside, almost like singing or chanting. The resident looked out the window and said he saw Messare with a machete, banging on a truck.
“Then I saw that he left the property and started walking down there with his dog,” he said, motioning toward the scene of the shooting. “There were people over there and I assumed they were calling the cops. A few minutes later the cops did show up. Before the officers arrived [Messare] was sitting on a ledge. I came out when the police showed up. I heard them say, ‘Drop it.’ They said it over and over again. It was kind of hard to see so I don’t know if he lunged or whatever and then I heard multiple shots. I saw him still moving and again they said, ‘Drop it or I’ll shoot you again.’ Then I saw them kick the machete away.”
