By admin 
MESA, Ariz. (KNXV) — Mesa police officers were involved in two shootings in two consecutive days this week, and investigators say both cases are still in the early stages.
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On Tuesday afternoon, Mesa officers attempted to arrest a suspect near South McQueen and East Frye in Chandler. Police were seeking a man connected to a domestic violence call that originated in Mesa. Chandler police identified that man as Dwayne Varela, 47, who officers say was seen carrying a rifle.
Neighbors Mike North and Ashley Sheriff said the scene was unlike anything they had witnessed in their typically quiet neighborhood.
“It’s definitely not something we see here. This is a quiet neighborhood,” North said.
“I saw police work happening and I knew something was going on. We could hear something over a loud speaker. I believe they said they were executing a search warrant,” North said.
“It was loud. You could hear them trying to get the guy out of the house, mostly,” Sheriff said.
“We definitely wanted to peek out the window now and then,” Sheriff said.
On Monday, officers shot a man near Mesa Drive and McKellips after neighbors reported he was making threats with a gun. Police say the man died from police gunfire. His name has not been released.
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Attorney Benjamin Taylor, who is not connected to either case but frequently represents clients in lawsuits against police departments, said he recognizes that law enforcement increasingly relies on de-escalation and crisis intervention techniques. He also noted the legal boundaries around use of force.
“Police like to justify their stance of saying they fear for their lives by using lethal force,” Taylor said.
“If there is a weapon, of course, under the law, police are allowed to defend themselves and use deadly force, but when they aren’t fearing for their lives, less lethal force should be used,” Taylor said.
Mesa police said only that investigations into both incidents remain in the early stages. Both shootings are being investigated by the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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