Glendale suspect dead after barricading himself, shooting at police officers

GLENDALE, Ariz. – A suspect is dead after shooting at police officers and barricading himself inside a Glendale home Wednesday afternoon, Aug. 12.

What we know:

Glendale Police responded to the residence, near Glendale and 75th avenues, around noon after a woman reported her father was inside the home, violating an order of protection, Glendale Police Sgt. Justin Ramsay said. She saw him on her security cameras.

“She met with our police officers who did validate that there was an active order of protection. Furthermore, we found that we do have history at this home,” Ramsay said.

Officers attempted to negotiate with the man, identified as 59-year-old Jeffery Peters, who had a history of being armed and owning body armor, helmets and gas masks, but he refused to come out, Ramsay said. Although Peters lived at the home, he had been ordered to stay away following an incident two weeks prior.

By 2 p.m., a Glendale Police Department SWAT team arrived and an hour later, a search warrant was granted by the court.

“Our SWAT team attempted to make contact with the suspect and were immediately met with gunfire. The suspect did fire at our police officers repeatedly over the course of two hours with a rifle,” Ramsay said. “The suspect did hit multiple police vehicles, including one of our armored SWAT vehicles, and rendered it inoperable.”

Police say at times Peters was seen wearing apparent ballistic armor.

“At various points throughout this exchange of gun fire, several Glendale Officers fired back at Mr. Peters,” police said.

A SWAT vehicle heavily damaged the home while forcing its way through the front and back entrances. Officers from nearby agencies stepped in to help, and gunfire finally quieted down around 6 p.m.

At that point, a drone was flown into the home and Peters was found dead with a gunshot wound. Authorities have not said whether he was killed by police fire or a self-inflicted wound.

“Multiple police vehicles were damaged, as well as two of our drones. One officer did receive minor injuries, and was treated at a local ER and is expected to be fine,” Ramsay said. No bystanders were hurt.

What they’re saying:

A shelter-in-place order for nearby residents has been lifted, but residents were understandably left on edge.

“I was standing outside my house and I heard a loud bang, and I was like, OK, maybe going inside is a good idea, but it’s cops everywhere, SWAT team, everywhere,” Christina Hernandez said.

“It’s a great neighborhood, a great area for kids to play around. It’s pretty safe. It doesn’t usually happen a lot, no. You don’t know who your neighbor is. Just be aware of your surroundings at all times,” Jaxon James said.

Dig deeper:

What’s next:

The Avondale Police Department is leading the investigation on behalf of the West Valley Investigative Response Team, per standard protocol.

“Avondale Police is aware of the community’s interest in structural damage to the home. Our initial investigation indicates that Glendale SWAT used a tactic known as shrinking, which is used to further isolate a contained threat. Shrinking is the use of armored vehicles and their fixed tools to break down spaces, in attempt to constrict the movement and location of a known threat. Avondale Police anticipates that the on-scene investigation will conclude this evening. At that point, the care of the home and its structure will be turned over to the City of Glendale,” police said.

Map of the area

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