Police said James U. Glenn had skipped court before a jury convicted him in a child sex crimes case.
PHOENIX, AZ — Phoenix police shot and killed a 56-year-old fugitive Thursday evening in north Phoenix after officers stopped his vehicle and said he pointed a handgun at them, according to the department.
The man was identified as James U. Glenn. Police said Glenn was wanted after he failed to appear in court earlier Thursday, June 11, before a jury returned guilty verdicts against him in a child sex crimes case. No officers were injured in the shooting near 23rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road. The Arizona Department of Public Safety is reviewing the criminal side of the shooting, while Phoenix police are conducting an internal investigation.
The shooting happened just before 6 p.m. Thursday as Phoenix police tactical officers tracked Glenn in north Phoenix. Phoenix Police Sgt. Vince Lewis said a K-9 officer followed Glenn before using a vehicle stopping tool known as a Grappler on Pinnacle Peak Road, just west of 23rd Avenue. Another officer then used a police vehicle to pin the driver’s door of Glenn’s SUV, Lewis said. “While seated in his vehicle, officers reported seeing the suspect raise a gun and pointed it at them,” Lewis said. Two officers fired their weapons, striking Glenn. Phoenix firefighters responded and pronounced him dead at the scene.
Police said Glenn was alone in the vehicle when officers opened fire. Investigators had not released the names of the officers as of Sunday, June 14. Officials also had not said how many rounds were fired or whether police body camera video would be released. Police said a handgun was involved, but the department had not released a full evidence list from the scene. The shooting closed part of the roadway for hours while investigators examined the area around 23rd Avenue and Pinnacle Peak Road. Police said no bystanders or officers were hurt during the encounter.
The police search followed court action earlier the same day in Maricopa County. Glenn did not appear in court as a jury was ready to deliver its verdict. A prosecutor told the judge that Glenn’s monitor was still at home and was not moving. The court then learned Glenn had cut off his GPS tracker, according to courtroom details reported after the shooting. A judge issued a bench warrant, and the jury proceeded without him. Glenn was found guilty on 15 counts tied to child sex crimes, including sexual conduct with a minor. After the verdicts, the judge ruled Glenn nonbondable.
The case moved quickly from the courtroom to the police search. Officers located Glenn driving later that day, police said, and moved to stop him before the shooting. The Grappler device used by the K-9 officer is designed to stop a fleeing vehicle by catching and disabling a tire. Police said the device brought Glenn’s SUV to a stop before a second officer blocked the driver’s side door. The department described Glenn as a wanted felon and said he was being investigated for a sex crime against a child. Police had not released further details about Glenn’s prior criminal history.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is handling the criminal investigation into the shooting. That review will examine whether the officers’ use of force violated state law. The Phoenix Police Department is separately conducting an internal probe to determine whether officers followed department policy. Those reviews are standard after shootings involving Phoenix officers. The department had not announced any administrative findings, charging decisions or a date for a public briefing by Sunday. The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office may later review the criminal investigation once DPS completes its work.
The scene unfolded in a busy north Phoenix corridor with homes, desert lots and commercial traffic nearby. News video from the area showed police vehicles and crime scene tape along the roadway after the shooting. Drivers were routed away from the intersection as investigators worked into the evening. Police said the stop and shooting happened after officers tracked Glenn’s vehicle, not after a public 911 call from the intersection. Lewis said officers acted after seeing Glenn raise a gun. The department had not released any witness statements or recordings from nearby drivers or businesses.
As of Sunday, Glenn was dead, no officers were reported injured and both investigations remained open. The next major steps are the release of any critical incident materials, completion of the DPS review and any decision by prosecutors on whether the shooting was legally justified.
Author note: Last updated June 14, 2026.