Police identified the man as 22-year-old Romero Anthony Hernandez and said a second firearm was found in his waistband.
CHANDLER, AZ — A Chandler police officer fatally shot a 22-year-old man Thursday afternoon after police said he was waving a gun near Dobson and Warner roads and did not follow repeated commands from officers to drop the weapon.
Police identified the man as Romero Anthony Hernandez. Chandler officers were called to the area near a Circle K around 3:30 p.m. Aug. 27 after receiving reports of a person waving a firearm. Two officers responded and encountered Hernandez, according to accounts released by police and reported by local news organizations. The Mesa Police Department is now investigating the shooting under the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team process.
Chandler police said the two responding officers saw Hernandez holding a gun and pointing it in different directions. Officers gave him multiple commands to put the weapon down, police said. Authorities said Hernandez did not comply with those commands.
One of the officers then fired a single round, striking Hernandez and causing him to drop the gun, according to police. Officers began life-saving measures before Chandler Fire Department personnel arrived. Hernandez was taken to a hospital in critical condition and later died.
Police said investigators found one gun near Hernandez after the shooting and another firearm in his waistband. Authorities have not released further details about the weapons or said whether Hernandez fired at officers before he was shot. No officers or bystanders were reported injured.
The officer who fired the shot has been with the Chandler Police Department for about three years, police said. The officer’s name had not been publicly released in the reporting available Friday morning. Authorities also had not released body-camera footage or other video showing the encounter.
The shooting occurred near the intersection of Dobson and Warner roads, where police initially warned of traffic restrictions while officers investigated. Chandler police said shortly after the incident that there was no continuing danger to the public.
Mesa police will conduct the investigation into the use of deadly force as part of the regional critical-incident response process. No additional findings about the shooting had been announced as of Friday morning, and investigators had not publicly provided further details about what happened before Hernandez encountered the officers.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 28, 2026.