A man suspected of involvement in the shooting that killed Gila River police officer Joshua Briese, a civilian and injured several others earlier this summer was indicted by a federal grand jury last month.
Records show charges were filed against Joseph Notah on Nov. 26, accusing him of brandishing a firearm and assaulting Briese during a June 1 incident in Santan, District 4, of the Gila River Indian Community.
Notah was charged with one count of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime.
The indictment alleges that Notah brandished a Del-Ton DTI-15 semi-automatic rifle that used 5.56mm ammunition, which he would have to forfeit if convicted. The complaint does not state whether Notah ever fired the gun during the incident.
Notah was scheduled to make an initial appearance and arraignment at the Sandra Day O’Connor U.S. Courthouse in downtown Phoenix on Friday at 3 p.m.
Zach Stoebe, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, said a 16-year-old tribal member was also taken into federal custody. But Stoebe declined to comment further on the status or details of the teen’s case, including the possible criminal charges he could face and whether a grand jury had also indicted him.
“It is the practice of the Attorney General’s Office, and an obligation under federal law, to refrain from commenting on arrests of persons under the age of 18,” Stoebe said in an emailed statement.
A trouble call leads to a fatal shooting
Briese, who had been on the force for less than a year, and another officer responded to a disturbance call involving a large crowd around 2 a.m. on June 1.
Multiple gunshots were fired and both officers were hit, according to a Facebook post from the Gila River Police Department.
Neighbors told The Arizona Republic that a teenager was hosting a birthday party at a home when officers arrived on the scene.
Both officers were taken to hospital. Briese, who was 23 years old, died from his injuries. The condition of the other officer, whose identity is not known, is serious but stable, according to police. Alicen Apkaw, 23, also died from gunfire, and three other people were injured.
The FBI and Gila River police said officials arrested a man and a teenage boy on June 2 — the day after the shooting.
It was not immediately clear why it had taken months for a grand jury to indict Notah.
Who was Officer Joshua Briese?
Briese had been with the Gila River Police Department for less than a year and was still undergoing field training.
Briese was the son of former Yellowstone County sheriff’s officer David Briese, who also died in the line of duty.
David Briese was killed in a car crash on Interstate 90 near King Avenue West in Billings, Montana, in November 2006 while responding to a backup call for an officer dealing with a combative impaired driver, the report said. Sheriff’s Office.
Joshua Briese was employed by the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation and Reentry as of April 2021. He graduated from the Correctional Officer Training Academy in June 2021 and was subsequently assigned to the Arizona State Prison Complex-Phoenix. He resigned from the Department of Corrections in June 2022.
‘Extrovert and unbreakable’: Gila River Police Officer Joshua Briese commemorated this during the memorial service
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Man suspected of involvement in shooting of Gila River officer charged
