Pima County Sheriff’s Department deputies shot and killed a 47-year-old man on Nov. 29 following reports of a domestic violence incident involving a gun in the Vail area, authorities said.
The incident began around 11:45 p.m., when deputies from the Vail District responded to multiple 911 calls at a home in the 400 block of South Stone Bench Road. Callers reported a domestic disturbance in which a resident had fired at least one round from a handgun outside the home, according to the Sheriff’s Department.
When deputies arrived, they learned the suspect had already left the property on foot. A deputy searching the area soon located a man matching the description walking in the 300 block of South Creosote Draw Road.
The Sheriff’s Department said the deputy gave the man repeated commands to stop and show his hands, but the suspect refused to comply. Instead, he allegedly pulled a handgun from his pants pocket and began walking toward the deputy. The deputy then opened fire, striking the man.
Additional deputies arrived and immediately began life-saving measures, but the suspect was pronounced dead at the scene. No deputies or community members were injured.
Authorities identified the deceased as John Allan McDonald, 47. His family has been notified.
The deputy who fired his weapon was identified as Deputy John Hisey-Long, a three-year member of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department.
The Pima Regional Critical Incident Team (PRCIT) was activated to investigate the shooting. The multi-agency team includes investigators from the Sheriff’s Department, Tucson Police Department, Oro Valley Police Department, Marana Police Department, Pascua Yaqui Police Department, Sahuarita Police Department, University of Arizona Police Department, Pima Community College Police Department, South Tucson Police Department, and the Tucson Airport Authority Police Department.
The PRCIT model assigns an outside agency to lead the criminal investigation of incidents involving member law-enforcement agencies. For this case, the Tucson Police Department is heading the investigation.
Meanwhile, the Pima County Sheriff’s Department will conduct a separate internal review to determine whether any policy violations occurred. Once PRCIT completes its investigation, findings will be forwarded to the Pima County Attorney’s Office for review, as is standard protocol.
