Man shoots, kills himself as constable served eviction in north Phoenix, police say
An investigation was underway after a man reportedly shot himself while being served an eviction notice in north Phoenix.
According to Sgt. Robert Scherer with the Phoenix Police Department, officers were called to a home near 30th Street and Shea Boulevard on Thursday around 1:45 p.m. after receiving a call of shots being fired.
The person who called 911 identified himself as a Maricopa County constable and told police he was at the man's home conducting an eviction when the man shot himself.
Police did not provide more information regarding the incident, but said an investigation was underway.
Constables are representatives of the court responsible for serving processes, including for subpoenas, summons, orders of protection, evictions and property seizures, among other responsibilities. Maricopa County has 26 elected constables; however, the name of the constable involved has not yet been released.
Several violent incidents surrounding evictions have taken place across Arizona in recent months, as eviction filings continue to climb since the COVID-19 pandemic.
In July of 2022, a Phoenix resident was shot and killed by a constable following an eviction, after an exchange of gunfire, according to Phoenix police.
A Pima County constable was one of four people fatally shot during an eviction in Tucson in August of 2022.
A Maricopa County constable was under investigation in 2022 for being involved in several incidents, including holding a tenant at gunpoint and being present during the fatal shooting of a tenant.
In metro Phoenix, eviction filings in June hit the second-highest monthly total since September 2008, with landlords filing to evict 6,976 times during that month, according to the Maricopa County Justice Courts.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Police say man shot, killed himself when served eviction notice
