We are thrilled to announce that PLEA has been presented with a Communicator Award of Excellence from the Academy of Interactive and Visual Arts (AIVA), the largest and most competitive awards program honoring outstanding work in advertising, corporate communications, public relations and design. A prestigious global panel of leading industry professionals selected the Phoenix Law Enforcer for recognition from a field of more than 3,000 entries from within the U.S. and around the world.
PLEA Secretary and Law Enforcer Editor John Maxwell’s January/February 2023 cover article “A Story of Survival” garnered the Award of Excellence for Writing in the General/Feature Article category. Maxwell interviewed Phoenix Police Officer Austin Peru, his fiancée and his parents about their memories of the day Peru was shot in the line of duty in February 2022 and their reflections on the event that changed their lives. The feature was also subsequently reprinted in the July 2023 issue of American Police Beat.
“John’s story about Austin Peru, part of his ongoing series of articles documenting the experiences of wounded officers, movingly captures the dangers our brothers and sisters face in the course of their work and the impact it can have on their loved ones,” PLEA President Darrell Kriplean said. “The goal of Phoenix Law Enforcer is not only to inform our members about association activities, labor news, legal issues and legislation, but also to highlight their own experiences and concerns on the topics that affect their work and their lives — and it’s rewarding to see our efforts being recognized at the highest levels.”
Phoenix Police Officers Honored at 2023 Top Cops Awards
During National Police Week, the National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) honored law enforcement officers from across the country at its 30th annual Top Cops Awards ceremony in Washington, D.C., on May 12. Annually, members of federal, state, county, tribal and local agencies nationwide nominate their partners and colleagues for extraordinary actions taken during incidents in the preceding year. From the nominations, an independent committee of national law enforcement representatives selects one case for each of the 50 states and U.S. territories, and only 10 are named Top Cops Award winners.
Among this year’s honorees were Phoenix Police Officers Trisha Eskridge, Christopher Jones, John Noe, Austin Peru and Travis Spitler, who were recognized for their response to a tense ambush and standoff at a home in a southwest Phoenix neighborhood on February 11, 2022.
The incident began when Morris Jones called 9-1-1 in a panic, telling the operator that armed intruders had broken into his home and shot his girlfriend, Shatifah Lobley. Officer Peru arrived within five minutes of the call and found Jones waiting for him at the front doorway of the home. Jones quickly gestured for the officer to follow him inside. As Peru cautiously approached the front door, Jones pulled out a handgun he had been concealing and opened fire on Peru, striking him multiple times and seriously injuring him.
Unable to return fire immediately, Peru sought cover, running down the street while being pursued by Jones. Peru radioed responding officers about what was transpiring, but unbeknownst to him, his equipment had been shot and was inoperable.
Officer Jones arrived on scene shortly after Peru had been shot. He fired his duty weapon at the shooter, striking him and causing him to retreat back inside the home. At this time, Peru, who was losing a massive amount of blood and going in and out of consciousness, was rushed to the hospital, where he immediately started receiving lifesaving care.
Over the next few minutes, more Phoenix police officers arrived at the home and established a perimeter. A helicopter was also called in to survey the scene from above. Despite the increased police presence, Jones jumped in a car in his garage and attempted to escape, but his plan was thwarted by a police vehicle blocking the driveway. He ran back inside the home.
Minutes later, another occupant of the home, later identified as Lobley’s brother, walked outside holding 1-month-old girl in a baby carrier. Officers shouted at the man to put the baby on the ground and walk backward toward them. The man complied and was immediately detained. Officers Eskridge, Spitler and Noe then rushed toward the front of the home to save the baby, but as they got close, Jones reappeared, opened fire and struck the officers. The officers were unable to retrieve the baby.
Eventually, officers from the Phoenix Police Special Assignments Unit (SAU) arrived on scene with an armored vehicle. Officers were able to use the vehicle and their ballistic shields for cover to rescue the baby, who was later confirmed as Jones and Lobley’s child.
Soon after, SAU negotiators called Jones via cellphone to encourage him to peacefully surrender; however, he was uncooperative.
Left with no other recourse, SAU officers fired tear gas into the home to force Jones out. But there was no response. Officers cautiously entered the residence and found Jones dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They also discovered that Lobley had tragically succumbed to her wound. It was later determined that she was shot by Jones and not by home invaders.
In all, five officers were shot during the incident and four more were injured by shrapnel or ricocheting bullets. Fortunately, all the officers survived the attack.
Officers Eskridge, Jones, Noe, Peru and Spitler were among the Phoenix officers who put their lives on the line to stop a man intent on killing police, causing violence and terrorizing the community. These officers went above and beyond the call of duty, and their actions truly exemplify what it means to be a top cop — as well as illustrating the immense dangers and sacrifices that come with upholding our oath to protect and serve. PLEA is proud of these officers for representing our Department at our nation’s capital. We thank them for their commitment and service.
Inaugural Police vs. Fire Charity Flag Football Game a Success
The inaugural Police vs. Fire Charity Flag Football Game benefiting the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) of Arizona was held on May 19. PLEA Charities and United Phoenix Firefighters Association Charities teamed up to put together this fun football game. The idea to have a charity flag football game came from one of our members who participated in other charity events with Phoenix Fire, such as the Police vs. Fire basketball and soccer games.
In the previous games, Fire was victorious, and the rivalry continued gearing up for Friday night lights. There were approximately 21 players on each team. The teams wore custom T-shirts with the LLS logo on one sleeve and their respective charity on the other; the PD blue shirts had the PLEA Charities logo, and the FD red shirts had the United Phoenix Firefighters Association Charities logo.
North High School (NHS) in downtown Phoenix gladly opened its football field to hold this charity event; the stadium featured large grandstands and an amazing field. NHS was very accommodating and even offered its concession stand for food and drinks for guests. We encouraged guests to wear their teams’ colors of red or blue to show support.
The gates opened at 6 p.m. and kick-off was at 7 p.m. Tickets were sold online at pleacharities.org for a reasonable price of $10 for adults and $5 for children 11 and up.
PLEA Charities was able to collect and raise $2,653.15 in proceeds. That money was then donated to our friends at LLS.
The final score of the game was 41–14, with the PD team taking another loss. (The police team is already talking about a rematch next year.) The game ended with a large group photo of all the players on the 50-yard line. It was great to see the bond that we have with our Fire brothers and sisters.
PLEA Charities is here to support public safety personnel across the state of Arizona. We continue to help other nonprofits and foundations like LLS. If you know of any opportunities that we can contribute to or know someone who is in need, don’t hesitate to reach out to us at charities@pleacharities.org or call the PLEA office.
The month of May is a sacred time when peace officers, families and supporters can come together to remember and pay tribute to the brave men and women who gave their lives in the line of duty during the past year and throughout our nation’s history.
This year’s National Police Week ceremonies, held May 11–16, carry special significance for PLEA and the Phoenix Police Department as Sergeant Thomas Craig (EOW September 3, 2021) and Officer Phillip Vavrinec Jr. (EOW September 22, 2021) are added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. Both officers tragically passed away from COVID-19 and were added to the Arizona Peace Officers Memorial in 2022. This year, their sacrifice will be recognized in front of thousands in our nation’s capital.
Members of PLEA’s leadership team are traveling to Washington, D.C., to honor our brothers and the rest of our nation’s heroes. We will never forget Sergeant Craig, Officer Vavrinec Jr. and all those who made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of their communities.
Fifth Annual PLEA Charities Superhero 5K Raises Money for Kids in Need
With the fifth annual PLEA Charities Superhero 5K being Hulk-themed, actors from Put on the Cape (POTC): A Foundation for Hope portrayed the Hulk and She-Hulk, as well as Superman, Batman, Supergirl, Gamora, Harley Quinn, Poison Ivy, Captain Marvel and many others for this sold-out event that raised nearly $6,000 for the Southwest Family Advocacy Center (SWFAC).
Created by Phoenix Police Officer Sean Reavie, POTC started in 2019 with the goal of raising awareness and donations for victimized children with a series of superhero-themed events benefiting family and child advocacy centers across the Valley and his home state of Michigan.
With PLEA Charities sponsoring the first annual Superhero 5K, Reavie adopted the SWFAC so it could receive proceeds. Since 2019, Reavie’s foundation has donated more than $60,000 to SWFAC, with $28,000 alone coming from the annual 5K event.
“I have to thank PLEA Charities and their involvement over the last five years,” Reavie says. “They supported me from my first event and changed the lives of thousands of abused children in the process.”
PLEA Secretary John Maxwell and President Darrell Kriplean helped set up a tent next to POTC registration and handed out water, medals and T-shirts to participants. This race included a grandmother running with her 10 grandkids, couples pushing their babies in strollers, toddlers decked out as baby versions of superheroes, a fully uniformed MSCO deputy, an entire class of Avondale Police Department cadets and even family pets gleefully taking part.
The event, held during the Avondale KidFest, was supported by the Avondale, Buckeye and Goodyear police departments, UPS and Honor Health, which signed up dozens of runners in the competition for the Champions Cup, an award Reavie created to encourage friendly competition and bragging rights.
“Buckeye P.D. unseated Avondale P.D. as the winner this year,” Reavie says. “We sold out Wednesday before the event and still had an additional 48 runners sign up who just wanted to help.”
The support of PLEA Charities has meant a great deal to Reavie, who notes that POTC has won numerous national awards for philanthropy and has donated approximately $500,000 to multiple family advocacy centers in the Valley, supporting more than 10,000 child victims of abuse.
“PLEA Charities was the first to donate money to my cause in 2015 when I just did a small donation drive called Superhero September,” Reavie says. “Now, we hold events year-round across Arizona and Michigan.”
PLEA Charities was there at the beginning, presenting him with a donation of $1,500.
“They never missed a chance to support me,” Reavie says. “Come September, PLEA is sponsoring the ninth annual Superhero Shopping Spree, my legacy event. I cannot thank them enough for the support financially and for me personally over the years.”
“It takes a village to heal a victim,” SWFAC director Reem Constantine says. “Sean Reavie and PLEA Charities, as well as their passionate team, put words into action every day. They built a community of support that inspires children and adults alike to spring into action and give generously their time and hearts for a survivor of abuse in need.”
Reavie, who is currently working as a school resource officer at Greenway Middle School, adds that some major announcements are coming in the next few months involving new events and more impact through his charity.
“Success, to me, means other people are better off because of something you did,” Reavie says. “The team at PLEA Charities has helped me reach so many victims of abuse, and we will continue to do great things together.”
Follow POTC on Facebook (facebook.com/Putonthecape) or visit its website at putonthecape.org.
Officer Denise Bruce-Jones Shares Her Inspirational Story After Bravely Fighting Back From Being Shot
PLEA Secretary John Maxwell had the opportunity to sit down and talk to Denise Bruce-Jones, who was shot in the line of duty on April 14, 2022, at 10:30 a.m. while investigating a call for service involving an individual who was suicidal. She was shot in the abdomen, and she is still recovering today from her injuries. She is glad to be here with her friends and family. This is her story. Note: Some of the details could not be discussed due to ongoing criminal litigation.
Denise’s Story
On April 14, 2022, Denise Bruce-Jones was working a patrol shift when she responded to an emergency radio call (hot call) of a suicidal subject. She and Officer Mazin Toma were attempting to get a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) officer to respond to the call with them. Denise arrived on the scene first at a gas station near Cave Creek Road and Beardsley, several blocks from the caller’s residence. She spoke with the female subject, who had placed the call to 9-1-1 about her boyfriend being suicidal.
Officer Toma arrived shortly after at the same location as Denise was contacting the female. Officer Toma walked away to speak on the radio to coordinate additional resources. The female said that she and her boyfriend had been fighting for the last couple of days, and he shot a gun into the ceiling of their home the day before, but she never called the police to report the incident. Denise recognized her from prior calls for service. The female also said that she ended up sleeping in her car that night on the property. She was woken up by her boyfriend knocking on the window, and the argument started again. She told him that she was leaving him, and he responded that he was going to kill himself.
The female drove away, but he had her phone. She then drove to Cave Creek Road and Beardsley to call the police. The female and Denise went inside the gas station and got her phone number because she didn’t know the number but used to work there, so they went inside to ask the on-duty clerk for the number. They exited the store into the parking lot, and Denise was going to give the phone number to Officer Toma for a means of communication at the residence.
The female then told Denise, “There he is.” Denise immediately noticed a motorcycle on Beardsley. Remembering that he normally rides a motorcycle, she was focused on the motorcycle when she asked the female, “on the motorcycle?” The female said, “No, in the Prius.” Denise was scanning for the car when suddenly a Prius came into the parking lot quickly. Denise saw the male driving, and his hands appeared in the air as he was animated talking to himself. The passenger-side window was down only a few inches. Denise yelled to Officer Toma, “There he is!”
Quickly, the passenger-side window of the Prius rolled down as she was in the middle of the gas station. When the vehicle stopped, Denise remembers immediately feeling a burning pain in her left hip. This is when time slowed down and she realized a muzzle flash had preceded the burning and now the barrel of a gun, barely visible, was pointed at her. “Fuck he just shot me,” she realized.
Her legs buckled, and she was now lying on the ground on her left side. She said that she saw Officer Toma quickly react by drawing his gun and returning fire, but she did not hear any gunfire, though she did not lose consciousness. She couldn’t physically roll over and draw her gun in time and immediately went into survival mode. Officer Toma then came over to her and started to pull on her to get her to safety. Her leg was burning with excruciating pain, and her left leg was shaking, and she couldn’t stop it.
Staying Calm in the Face of Adversity
She tried to put out the 999 (officer down) over the radio, but it didn’t go out. Officer Toma was able to put out on the radio a 999. While lying on the ground in the parking lot, multiple police units started to arrive on the scene. She knew she had to do her best to stay calm and just wait for the fire department. Most of her focus was on her breathing, which helped her remain calm. Denise had just got a new ballistic vest and remembered it feeling stiff and tight, making her feel claustrophobic. She was told to keep her vest on in case it was providing compression on any gunshot wounds.
The fire department arrived, and they immediately put Denise on a stretcher and loaded her into the ambulance (load and go). Fire removed her vest along with her duty belt to treat her injury. She was placed onto her left side so her body weight could keep pressure on the wound near her left hip. She vividly remembers her left leg kept shaking, and she could not make it stop. Sergeant Linda Miller was also in the back of the ambulance, applying pressure to the wound with gauze. Fire told Sergeant Miller, “If she isn’t screaming, then you’re not pushing hard enough.” That moment will always remain in her memory.
Fire said that her blood pressure was 120/70 and her heart rate 61 beats per minute. Denise believes she was able to remain so calm because she’s in good shape and knew that she was going to survive. Her memory of most of the ride to the hospital is vague. They arrived at the John C. Lincoln Medical Center emergency room and Fire wheeled her inside quickly. The last thing that she remembers was going into the operating room and the nurse asking “pre-op” questions before she was put under. She then fell asleep. Incidentally, Denise candidly remarked, “You’d never expect to get ambushed at 10:30 in the morning in north Phoenix.”
Waking Up After Surgery
The surgery was complete, and Denise was taken up to ICU. When she awoke, her husband, Chris, was by her side. The doctor later entered the room and said that they had performed an exploratory laparotomy, which consisted of them opening up her abdomen in order to dissect her bowel. This was done to stop the bleeding and to find the bullet and any fragments. They said that she had a fractured acetabulum (hip socket). Because of the abdominal surgery, she could not eat or drink anything for five days. “That was terrible — my throat was so dry, and it felt like sandpaper swallowing,” Denise remembers.
Her abdominal core hurt so bad every time she had to move. All she could do was lie there trying not to laugh, cry or even cough so it didn’t hurt. She was cleared to start physical therapy the next day and remembers thinking back to how painful it was just to sit up. Therapy was very challenging because she was hopping on her right leg since she wasn’t allowed to use her left leg. The right leg needed to take all the load-bearing weight while her pelvis healed.
The surgery left her with a 10-inch incision opening down her abdomen, which was closed with staples. It extended from the bottom of her sternum to the waistline. While in the hospital, Chris was talking to their young son, Kemper, on Facetime, and he turned the phone around to Denise lying in bed.
Kemper asked her, “What is really going on?” Initially, they had told him that she was injured at work and was in the hospital. Denise said that despite his young age, “He is a very smart kid” and began to ask a lot of questions. She would have to tell him the truth, and so she explained that she was shot by a bad guy, and that’s why she was in the hospital with tubes coming out of her. That was an emotional moment for Denise having to tell her child that she was shot, but she knew that seeing her on Facetime reassured him that she was alive and going to be OK. Kemper did, however, became upset knowing that his mother was not going to be home for a while — they have a very close relationship.
The Road to Recovery
Denise would stay in the ICU at the hospital for another week until being discharged to a medical rehabilitation facility. During discharge and medical transport to the next facility, she was provided with a “police escort” by her close co-workers. She remained in the rehab facility for two more weeks.
The struggle of healing continued in rehab, and she developed an infection in the gunshot wound site that had to be treated. This consisted of draining the fluid and cleaning the wound. The day came for her to be discharged from rehab, and to her surprise, she was greeted by police officers and rehab staff members cheering as she was pushed out of the building in a wheelchair. She was overcome with emotion and started to cry. “Thank you to everyone who was there to support me,” she says.
She started going to physical therapy soon after being released. “It was difficult going from a wheelchair to a walker and then to a cane,” Denise says.
In June, her doctor said that she had movement in her pelvic bones. She could feel the bones moving in her pelvis while lying down and turning over. This required another surgery called open reduction and internal fixation (ORIF). Her second surgery was in September, adding two screws and a metal plate to stabilize the two pelvic bones together so they could heal correctly.
Today, she is now fully weight-bearing on her left leg, and since January of this year, she has been walking without assistance. She told me that she still has some lasting nerve issues in her leg. There is some lack of movement in her quadricep muscle, along with sensory issues of numbness, tingling and temperature sensation. The most frustrating struggle right now is not being able to climb stairs as well as upward and downward flexion of the left leg. She may require another surgery to correct the nerve issue later this year.
The incident was two days before her husband, Chris’ birthday and just before Easter. Denise became very emotional talking about what was the hardest thing to overcome during her recovery. If you know Denise, she is an athlete and has competed in seven Ironman races. She finds that running and training are therapeutic. “Not being able to run is really hard for me,” Denise says. Her plan when she retires was to go back to training hard for Ironman and compete in races.
She is happy to be alive today and grateful to Officer Toma, who she credits for saving her life. She is further indebted to everyone who helped locate the suspect (who was ultimately arrested). “Everyone who called, visited, texted and were there for me, thank you!” Denise says.
Denise believes it’s important to stay in shape and focus on your health. She credits her survival and recovery, both mentally and physically, to being in shape. “I’m not angry and will not dwell on what happened because it is not productive.” She has now found other ways to exercise to stay healthy while recovering, like swimming (even though this was her least favorite discipline in the triathlon).
Denise’s husband Chris also works for the Phoenix Police Department. I met with Chris separately to talk about what happened.
Chris’ Account
On the day of the incident, Chris was sleeping because he was on the night shift. His phone started to get text “dings” and phone calls. Being so tired, he finally looked and answered one of the calls. One of the messages he received was about a female officer being shot, and he recalls “putting two and two together” that it was, in fact, Denise. He answered the next phone call, and that person advised him that Denise was involved and that he needed to get to the hospital immediately.
“What Am I Going to Tell Our Son?”
Chris initially paused for a moment, thinking “What am I going to tell Kemper about his mother being dead?” He answered another telephone call that put him at ease — “Denise is alive.” Chris quickly started to notify Denise’s family to help make arrangements to watch Kemper. Chris drove himself to the hospital, and when he arrived, he said it was so comforting to see familiar faces from PLEA and numerous other co-workers who were there for support. The hospital staff briefed him on Denise’s condition. He was told that she was shot in the waist and the hip, requiring them to take her to surgery right away.
Denise got out of surgery, and Chris was waiting for her upstairs in the ICU room. While Denise was not awake, Chris was trying to catch up with the incoming text messages and letting everyone know that she was going to be OK. It was a nice distraction to keep his mind busy, with Denise’s phone in one hand and his in the other hand, giving everyone updates on her status.
On the fifth day of Denise’s recovery in the hospital, she asked Chris for a cup of water, and he responded in his typical joking fashion, “What’s wrong with your legs?” Even though it hurt to laugh, Denise smiled just knowing things hadn’t changed much. He then got up and returned with the water.
Chris is very thankful for the police department taking care of their family, and they even assigned Chris to home to help take care of Denise.
There was a multiagency, statewide manhunt, which ended after the suspect was taken into custody days later and booked into jail.