Phoenix officer fired over 2022 fatal shooting of a rock-throwing suspect

PHOENIX — A Phoenix policeman has been fired in connection with the fatal shooting of a man who was throwing baseball-sized rocks at officers and patrol cars, authorities said.

The September 2022 incident wound up costing Phoenix $5.5 million as the city settled a legal claim brought by the victim’s family last November.

Police officials announced Wednesday that Officer Jesse Johnson’s behavior in the shooting was determined to be inconsistent with department policy. However, police didn’t immediately provide details on the policy violation.

Sgt. Robert Scherer, a police spokesman, said Johnson has the right to appeal his firing to the Civil Service Board. Johnson had been with the department for at least four years.

A call to the police union seeking contact information for Johnson wasn’t immediately returned Thursday.

Police said 34-year-old Ali Osman, of Tucson, was throwing large rocks at passing traffic in north Phoenix in September 2022 and one rock struck a patrol car.

Johnson and another police officer tried to talk to Osman, but he began throwing rocks at them and wouldn’t stop. Osman was shot and later died at a hospital.

Last year, Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell decided against filing criminal charges in the case.

“Osman had a rock in his hand, ready to throw it directly at the officer when the officer made the decision to shoot,” Mitchell told the Arizona Republic. “And that decision was a reasonable one based on the force that Mr. Osman had used against them and was continuing to use.”