Federal agents on Wednesday morning hauled more than 120 firearms, including “machine guns,” out of the Ahwatukee Foothills home of a man suspected of shooting at a campaign office for the Democratic Party three times and posting bags of white powder labeled as poison near political signs.

Jeffrey Michael Kelly, 60, was arrested on Tuesday night near his Ahwatukee Foothills home by Tempe police who, according to court documents, used surveillance footage to find the suspect.

  • @[email protected]
    link
    fedilink
    English
    961 month ago

    Phoenix attorney Paul Weich told The Republic he was running as a Democrat for state representative in Legislative District 12 in 2022 when he had a run-in with Kelly. Prompted by several hundred dollars’ worth of his campaign signs going missing in June 2022, Weich hired an investigator who he said found surveillance video catching Kelly in the act.

    Despite evidence pointing to Kelly as the perpetrator, Weich said law enforcement did not move to arrest him. Weich said that Phoenix police feared that approaching Kelly would pose a threat to their safety. A prosecutor out of the Phoenix City Attorney’s Office declined to pursue charges, Weich said.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      651 month ago

      If you are a cop afraid to confront a criminal, isn’t that what special units are for? Like wtf are we giving SWAT teams tanks for if they can’t deal with this?

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        41
        edit-2
        1 month ago

        They also could just arrest him when he left his house for beers or whatever. They dont have to no knock him like he’s “sleeping while black” or anything.

      • Granbo's Holy Hotrod
        link
        fedilink
        201 month ago

        If he was handicapped and homeless they would be neck checking this fucker. Probably ly a lie anyway…I bet they went, questioned him, had a big laugh, shook hands and called it a day. This is PHXPD

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        81 month ago

        They’ll always have excuses, it’s how they justify bigger budgets and ridiculous departmental purchases.

        “What if they have anti tank rockets?” “What if they’re using suicide drones?” “What if they start taking shots at us with phased plasma rifles in the 40 watt range?”

        The spectre of the unstoppable criminal provides an extra profit stream for defense contractors on top of forever wars.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      English
      461 month ago

      Despite evidence pointing to Kelly as the perpetrator, Weich said law enforcement did not move to arrest him. Weich said that Phoenix police feared that approaching Kelly would pose a threat to their safety.

      That’s literally their job. They aren’t going to send regular officers to that shit. There are teams specifically trained for those situations. Whoever made that decision should be fired and blacklisted from ever working as an officer again. But we know nothing will happen about it.

      • lemmyng
        link
        fedilink
        English
        261 month ago

        Seems like those cops went to the same school as the Uvalde piss babies.

        • @[email protected]
          link
          fedilink
          English
          5
          edit-2
          1 month ago

          They may have. Third party police training is common, and a few companies train large numbers of officers (to be mortally afraid of any unexpected loud sound).

      • @[email protected]
        link
        fedilink
        English
        81 month ago

        Did you notice the part where it was Dems being shot at? Could be a correlation between who the cops serve and protect and what side of the aisle they identify with.

    • @[email protected]
      link
      fedilink
      191 month ago

      Coward cops doing cowardly things.

      Partisan prosecutors propping up their Republican buddies.

      Justice for some in America, like usual.

    • Ghostalmedia
      link
      fedilink
      English
      131 month ago

      This guy seems dangerous. We should probably just leave him alone.