CHANDLER, AZ — Chandler police say an officer mistook a bystander for an armed suspect and shot him during an active incident Sunday night.
The incident occurred in a neighborhood near Loop 101 and Chandler Boulevard.
Police were called to the area just after 6 p.m. for reports of suspicious activity involving someone who had a weapon.
When officers arrived, they made contact with a man through a screen door.
The man eventually exited the home armed with a gun and pointed it at officers, according to police. At least one officer then shot him.
The alleged suspect was identified as 53-year-old Luciano Gutierrez.
Another officer east of the home saw a bystander who was nearby and was previously told to go inside his home for his own safety but refused. The officer allegedly believed the bystander, a 33-year-old man, was the suspect and thought he was waving a weapon in the direction of the other officers. That officer then shot the bystander.
Officers later learned that the bystander was not armed.
Police treated both men on scene and both remain hospitalized in stable condition.
Watch Tuesday's Chandler Police Department press conference in the player below:
Chandler police originally told ABC15 that the armed man shot the bystander during a fight. On Tuesday, Chandler police officials provided new information on the sequence of events, explaining that an officer had shot the bystander.
No officers were hurt during this incident.
All officers involved in the shooting are on standard administrative leave during the investigation.
