Scottsdale police announced Sunday evening they arrested a suspect in connection with the fatal shooting of an off-duty Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department captain.
Police arrested 21-year-old Hezron Parks, according to Scottsdale Police Department.
Police said Parks turned himself in Sunday at around 12:15 p.m. after seeing local news reports.
Parks was questioned by detectives and taken into custody around 6 p.m., according to Scottsdale Police Department.
According to Sgt. Ben Hoster with Scottsdale PD, it happened at around 2:30 a.m. Sunday near the area of Civic Center Plaza and Stetson Drive.
(Scottsdale police say they have arrested a man in connection with the shooting death of an off-duty firefighter. Courtesy of azfamily powered by 3TV & CBS5AZ and YouTube. Posted on Feb 4, 2018)
According to court documents, 34-year-old Kyle Brayer was riding on the back of a transportation cart with several other people southbound on Civic Center Plaza when the suspect driving in a red Scion coupe began driving closely and bumping the rear end of the cart.
Witnesses saw Parks driving the vehicle and almost striking the rear of the golf cart on numerous occasions and then backing off as they traveled south on Stetson Drive.
Police say the golf cart then came to a stop near Stetson Drive and Civic Center Plaza.
That’s when Parks drove up to the back of the golf cart almost striking it.
According to the court documents, the vehicle was close enough for Brayer to put his foot on the hood. Brayer then exited the golf cart and approached Parks.
When Brayer approached the suspect, police say Parks was holding a handgun out the window and then shot Brayer in the head.
Brayer was taken to the hospital with life-threatening injuries where he later died.
The suspect fled the scene.
(Tempe Mayor Mark Mitchell and Fire Medical Rescue Chief Greg Ruiz speak about Captain Kyle Brayer, who was killed in Scottsdale on Sunday morning. Courtesy of ABC15 Arizona and YouTube. Posted on Feb 5, 2018)
Scottsdale police say Parks called their department’s 911 operator asking about the shooting and stated that he was the suspect.
Parks, a native of Belize, told officers that he was kicked out from several clubs before he had the altercation with Brayer.
Police added that Parks felt threatened by Brayer and justified in grabbing his handgun and pulling the trigger.
Parks was arrested in Phoenix and was later transported back to Scottsdale police’s detention center.
(Belize native and Phoenix resident Hezron Parks, accused of shooting and killing an off-duty Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department captain, made his initial court appearance. Courtesy of azfamily powered by 3TV & CBS5AZ and YouTube. Posted on Feb 5, 2018)
The mayor of Tempe, Mark Mitchell, released a statement regarding Brayer’s death Sunday afternoon.
The City of Tempe lost one of our own today to an act of senseless violence. Fire Captain Kyle Brayer was a valued member of our Fire Medical Rescue Team and my thoughts go out to his family, friends and fellow firefighters. If anyone has any information on this horrific crime, I would ask that you contact the Scottsdale Police.
Arizona’s Family’s LiAna Enriquez spoke exclusively with childhood friends of Kyle Brayer.
“Anybody that looks back on his life knows that he lived it to the fullest every single day. And more than anything though, he was a nice guy to everybody,” said Justin Sharp who grew up with Brayer.
His friends say Brayer lived a lifetime most people only dream about in just a few short decades
“He climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, I mean come on,” said Adriano Goffi, also a childhood friend.
“You know talk about someone that crammed 100 years of living into 34 years and that pretty much sums it up,” said Sharp.
Brayer was a fire captain with Tempe, a Marine veteran, a world traveler, a hard worker and so much more.
“He helped run the cadet program for Tempe Fire Department, he taught the Fire Fighter Fitness for MCC, he owned a personal training business,” said Sharp.
Brayer’s friends and family want him remembered not by this tragedy but by his triumphs.
“You look at the accomplishments he’s made and he left a mark on the fire department. He left a mark on the Marine Corps, with his friends and family. He mentored a lot of us.”
“Everyone looked up to him because of how he lived his life. The legacy that he left behind, he lived his life to the fullest and family was everything to him.”
“Whether it was the Marine Corps family, the fire department family and most importantly, his immediate family and friends,” said Sharp.
Facebook message from Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department:
“It is with great sorrow that the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department announces the death of Captain Kyle Brayer, 34, a 10-year veteran with the department. The Scottsdale Police Department is investigating his death which took place early this morning in Scottsdale.
Brayer will be missed by his family of colleagues in the fire department and by the wider community of first responders in the Valley.
The members of the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department, the Mayor and Council of the City of Tempe, and City of Tempe employees offer their respect and sympathies to his surviving family, friends and colleagues.
“Kyle was an exceptional young man. He was very caring and passionate about his work and the Tempe community. The death of our brother is a tragedy,” said Greg Ruiz, Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Chief. Brayer’s is the second death of a Tempe firefighter within six months. Captain Frank Reed died in a swimming incident in Portugal in October 2017.
Brayer’s most recent assignment was at Tempe Fire Station 6, 655 S. Ash, as a captain for Ladder 276 and the technical rescue team. Brayer began his career with Tempe Fire Medical Rescue after serving in the United States Marine Corps.
One highlight of his career was his involvement in launching Tempe’s Veterans Telemedicine Program in 2016. The VTMP is an innovative program in partnership with the Phoenix Veterans Administration Hospital which provides in-home medical care to high-risk veterans living in Tempe. As a veteran, he was proud to bring this program to the people in the community who served the country. To see Brayer’s interview about the program, go to http://bit.ly/2s5c4qW
If you have any information, please contact the Scottsdale Police Department at 480-312-5000.”
Original post http://www.azfamily.com/story/37422772/pd-person-shot-near-scottsdale-fashion-square
Editor’s note: Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Captain Kyle Brayer. Our condolences to the Tempe Fire Medical Rescue Department.
