Gilbert police released body‑camera footage and additional details about a deadly confrontation that occurred on the night of Aug. 1 at a residential property near the intersection of Lindsay and Elliot Roads.
Incident overview
Dispatch received two 911 calls about a violent scene. The first call, at 10:50 p.m., was from a woman who heard screaming. A minute later, another caller reported that her boyfriend had been killed.
When officers arrived, they found a broken sliding glass door and heard a woman screaming for help. Inside the property, 28‑year‑old Brett Eschliman, who had taken psychedelic mushrooms with three friends, was confronting the officers.
Police response
Two uniformed officers ordered Eschliman to the ground. Instead, he lunged at one officer, swiping the officer’s rifle, and retreated back inside the house. He later entered a bedroom, brandished a long metal object toward an officer’s head and neck, and the officer fired two rounds, both striking Eschliman. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers handcuffed Eschliman and provided life‑saving aid to the three victims. Gilbert Fire and Rescue treated the victims and transported them to medical facilities.
Victims and timeline
Four people had gathered at the property that evening, each having taken psychedelic mushrooms. Eschliman lived in a fifth‑wheel trailer on the site. One victim, a man, lived in a casita‑style structure with a woman who survived.
According to police, Eschliman first attacked the man, stabbing him at least once and shooting him multiple times. He then returned to his trailer and assaulted a second woman, stabbing her more than a dozen times and shooting her several times. Finally, he attacked the surviving woman, stabbing her and striking her with a firearm before she hid a rifle in a bedroom closet and called 911.
The man was pronounced dead at the scene. The second woman later died from her injuries. The surviving woman received medical care and survived.
Evidence and investigation
Investigators recovered an aluminum‑handled mop, a handgun, a rifle and two knives at the scene, as well as a blood swipe on the officer’s rifle muzzle. The East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, led by the Mesa Police Department, is conducting the investigation.
Police continue to review the body‑camera video and gather statements as the investigation proceeds.
Original reporting: azfamily KTVK/KPHO Phoenix (news) — read the source article.