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Dakota Black

Age : 26

Gender : Male

Race : Unknown

Date : 08/31/2021

Location : AZ-202 and E Broadway Road

City : Mesa

County : Maricopa

State : Arizona

Agency : : Mesa Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force

Officer(s) :Not Disclosed

Cause of Death : Suicide

Event : Suicide under police duress

OPEN RECORDS SUMMARY :

On 08/31/2021, at approximately 3:30 p.m., Mesa Police Department undercover detectives were conducting surveillance of 26-year-old Mesa resident Dakota Black while investigating him in connection with an alleged armed robbery. Black was driving a white Chevrolet pickup truck eastbound on Broadway Road when he entered the southbound Loop 202 on-ramp.
Police alleged that Black stopped the pickup on the freeway ramp, got out and attempted to carjack the driver of a passenger vehicle. The alleged carjacking was unsuccessful, and Black returned to his pickup. Mesa Police undercover detectives, assisted by members of a U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, then moved in and used their vehicles to box in Black's truck.
Officers approached the immobilized pickup intending to arrest Black but found him unresponsive inside. Police initially treated the incident as a possible shooting but reported that no law-enforcement officer had fired a weapon. Mesa Fire and Medical Department personnel responded and pronounced Black dead at the scene.
On 09/01/2021, Mesa Police announced that investigators had determined Black died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police reported finding the handgun in Black's lap and concluded that he shot himself inside the pickup moments before officers reached him.

SOURCE LINKS :

https://www.azfamily.com/news/dps-officer-involved-shooting-mesa
https://www.12news.com/article/news/local/valley/dps-investigates-shooting-loop-202
https://www.abc15.com/news/region-east-valley/mesa/police-shooting-under-investigation