Tucson Police Release Footage Of Teen Shot By Officers

TUCSON, AZ — An armed teenager who was fatally shot by Tucson police officers was wanted for several violent crimes, the department said Wednesday when it released footage of the suspect.

The 17-year-old has been identified as Simon Pancho. Police said he had been wanted for armed robbery and burglary before he was fatally shot by officers Aug. 26.

Surveillance footage from July 31 shows a suspect firing a round into the floor of a Tucson Quik Mart as a clerk hands over cash to multiple robbers. The suspect has been identified as Pancho, according to police, but his face is blurred because he was a minor. Ten days later, footage from another convenience store robbery shows someone using a gun to smash a glass case full of liquor.

Tucson police considered the teen armed and dangerous, Sgt. Pete Dugan, a spokesperson for the department, said in the video released of the suspect. The teen was finally located Aug. 26 near Calle Rancho Rio and Valley Road.

Officers wearing plainclothes — though they wore identifiable police vests and badges — moved to arrest Pancho before he pulled a gun from his waistband and held his finger on the trigger. An officer fired his gun twice, and Pancho was shot twice, according to the police.

Dugan said the incident is under review by internal affairs and Tucson police detectives. The department said it will not release the names of the officers involved at this time.

"[We are] not releasing the names of the officers involved while we continue to investigate online threats made against them," he said.