The Gila River Indian Community in Arizona temporarily banned dancing after two police officers were shot responding to a disturbance on the reservation.
The tribe’s governor, Stephen Roe Lewis, said a special meeting was held in which tribal leaders voted in favor of a temporary moratorium with respect to all permitted and nonpermitted dances in the tribal community. The move comes after two tribal police officers were injured, one fatally, after responding to a disturbance Saturday.
“I know I speak for our entire Community when I say that we grieve for our fallen and injured police officers and every Community member touched by such tragic violence. Nothing cuts deeper than a life cut short,” Lewis said.
The FBI in Phoenix is investigating how rookie police officer Joshua Briese was shot and killed. Briese, who was still undergoing training and had been on the force for less than a year, responded to the scene around 2 a.m. on Saturday following a reported disturbance. There was a large crowd at the time when Briese responded.
Multiple shots were fired, killing Briese and critically injuring another officer. Four others were also struck by gunfire at the scene and one died, according to NBC News.
“Our hearts and prayers are with these police officers, their families, and everyone impacted by this tragic incident,” the Gila River Police Department said on Facebook.
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Lewis said he is cooperating with law enforcement in order to have “comprehensive understanding” of what happened Saturday morning.
Two suspects, one adult and one juvenile, are in custody. The FBI and GRPD will conduct a joint investigation into the incident.
