Original Article Officer-involved shootings leave 2 men dead, 1 injured Jack Gillum The Arizona Republic Jul. 2, 2005 12:00 AM PHOENIX - Phoenix police shot two men dead and a third in the leg in separate incidents on Friday. The incidents began about 1:45 a.m. when an officer shot and killed a man outside a house at 37th Avenue and Moreland Street in Maryvale. Sgt. Randy Force, police spokesman, said two officers had been looking for the man to question him about a stolen car when a struggle began and he pulled a handgun on them. Officer Pete Borquez Jr., 23, who has been on the force for two years, was placed on administrative duty pending investigation of the incident. The suspect wasn't identified. About 7:30 a.m., police responded to a 911 hang-up call from a home near 47th Avenue and Poinsettia Lane in northwest Phoenix. Force said officers entered the front door, which showed signs of forced entry. They were confronted by a 30-year-old man, identified as Dean Braudrick, who was holding a military-style rifle. Officers Chris Holcomb, 33, and Tom Hitaffer, 43, shot and killed the suspect. Holcomb is a nine-year veteran, and Hitaffer has been on the force 16 years. About 2:30 p.m., police shot and wounded a suspect in the leg after he ran from officers during a traffic stop near 64th and Clarendon avenues, Sgt. Lauri Williams said. Few details were available, pending the investigation. The shootings bring to eight the number of incidents this year in which a Phoenix police officer has wounded or killed a suspect, according to Arizona Republic records. Official statistics weren't available Friday. Force said it can be "misleading to look at total numbers" of officer-involved shootings. He emphasized that deadly-force incidents are investigated on a case-by-case basis. "In these instances, we are sure to give suspects a chance to give up peacefully," Williams said, "It's always tragic when (police shootings) happen, but we want our officers to come away safely." Jake Jacobsen, president of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, said officers are encountering more violent confrontations with suspects, many of whom are more willing to "take on" an officer than in the past. "Today we're seeing a much more brazen attitude among suspects," he said. Three Phoenix officers have been shot to death in the line of duty since last August. The most recent shooting death occurred in May when Officer David Uribe was shot during a traffic stop in the 3400 block of West Cactus Road.