DPS trooper shoots, kills man attacking him near ASU in Tempe

Show Caption Hide Caption Former ASU student attacks DPS trooper DPS released dashcam video of Mohamed Ahmed Al-Hashemi attacking Trooper Hugh Grant on Dec. 19, 2019, in Tempe. Grant shot and killed Al-Hashemi during the fight.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety confirmed on Friday that a trooper shot and killed a man Thursday night after the man attacked and beat the trooper.

Mohamed Ahmed Al-Hashemi, 25, died Friday, DPS said. Al-Hashemi is a citizen of Qatar and was in the U.S. on a student visa, according to DPS.

DPS released dashcam video of the incident Friday.

It started when Trooper Hugh Grant, who was on patrol driving near Rural Road south of Loop 202 in Tempe and had a citizen observer in his car with him, saw a man knock down a temporary street sign near a crosswalk at 11:50 p.m. Thursday, according to DPS. The man was later identified as Al-Hashemi.

Video shows violent fight

In the dashcam video, Grant can be heard using his speaker to ask Al-Hashemi to pick up the sign, but Al-Hashemi ignores it and walks into the middle of Rural Road. Grant then slowly drives his car behind Al-Hashemi to block oncoming traffic and can be heard calling for backup for a person walking in the street.

Al-Hashemi can be seen walking down the middle of the road holding his arms out and skipping backward. Grant tells him to get out of the street, but Al-Hashemi ignores the command and kicks the hood of Grant's car. Grant then parks and exits the car.

Grant can be heard yelling, “Get on the ground! Get on the ground now! Get on the ground! Get on the ground!” as he walks toward Al-Hashemi. He then yells “Taser! Taser!” while deploying his Taser twice toward Al-Hashemi, but it does not appear to have an effect.

Al-Hashemi then charges at Grant, and can be heard yelling and seen punching and kicking Grant and slamming him into the car.

Grant asks the citizen observer to call for help and then Al-Hashemi headbutts him and Grant falls to the ground, after which neither can be seen in the dashcam video.

At one point, Al-Hashemi grabbed the Taser and hit Grant on the head with it, and while Grant was on the ground, Al-Hashemi kicked him in the head, according to DPS.

Grant then shot and killed Al-Hashemi. The fight lasted about a minute and a half, according to the video.

DPS director: It was 'a vicious encounter'

Grant was resting at home Friday and still in pain, DPS Director Frank Milstead said in a press conference Friday.

The citizen observer was not injured, DPS said. Grant had been working a holiday DUI task force, and the citizen observer with him was part of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Milstead called the incident "a very violent encounter, a vicious encounter."

"I think it was an exemplary piece of police work, he (Grant) was very concerned about his citizen observer (and) when he began to realize this was escalating, he was trying to keep her out of danger," he said. "He was in a fight for his life and he did an incredible job, I mean through every piece of the use of force continuum that I think you could use."

Milstead said he didn't know if Al-Hashemi was impaired because a toxicology test had not been conducted as of Friday afternoon and there was no indicator that he had mental-health issues.

Al-Hashemi is former ASU student

An ASU spokesperson confirmed Friday that Al-Hashemi was a former student at the university. Milstead said Al-Hashemi was not currently enrolled in any schools in the area.

Tempe police had arrested Al-Hashemi the day before the shooting on trespassing charges.

According to Tempe police spokesman Detective Greg Bacon, Al-Hashemi was suspected of entering the Islamic Community Center of Tempe on Sixth Street in Tempe about 4:30 a.m. Dec. 18 and causing a disturbance. He was issued a warning for trespassing and told by officers not to return to the center.

He returned to the building about 2 p.m. that same day and was arrested on suspicion of second-degree trespassing, according to Bacon.

ASU alerted students; traffic was blocked Friday morning

Arizona State University sent a LifeSafe alert to students just after 12:40 a.m. Friday at its Tempe campus that instructed them to avoid the area on Rural Road between Rio Salado Parkway and Loop 202 because the road was closed due to a police incident.

ASU spokesman Jerry Gonzalez later confirmed to The Arizona Republic that the alert was related to the police shooting.

According to ASU's website, the fall semester ended by last Saturday so school was not in session Friday.

For more stories that matter, subscribe to azcentral.com.

The Tempe Police Department said Scottsdale Road was closed in both directions between Rio Salado Parkway and Loop 202 for several hours Friday morning due to the investigation.

Check back for updates at azcentral.com.

Reach the reporter at chelsea.curtis@arizonarepublic.com or follow her on Twitter @curtis_chels.

Support local journalism. Subscribe to azcentral today.