Video captures deadly brawl in Walmart parking lot

Jim Walsh | The Republic | azcentral.com

Show Caption Hide Caption Video captures chaotic brawl in Walmart parking lot The Cottonwood, Arizona police department released a video that appears to show an officer shooting a man. Police say a chaotic brawl broke out between police and members of the Gaver family that soon turned deadly.

Police released video Friday that appears to show a chaotic brawl in an Arizona Walmart parking lot that left one suspect dead and two others shot, including an officer.

The shooting occurred during a fight between up to eight members of the Gaver family and at least four police officers. The video was captured by a dashboard camera and indicated the fight lasted for about seven minutes.

The fight happened after police were called to the Cottonwood, Ariz., Walmart on March 21 after a call reported that multiple suspects assaulted a female employee in the store. When officers arrived, the suspects were in the parking lot and attacked them, according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Cottonwood Police Chief Jody Fanning said that during the brawl, Enoch Gaver, 21, disarmed Sgt. Jeremy Daniels and shot him in the leg. He said Gaver was still armed with Daniels' gun when officer Rick Hicks started hitting him with a baton.

After Hicks determined the baton had no effect, he resorted to shooting Gaver to death, Fanning said. Hicks also shot and wounded David Gaver, who had been on top of Daniels and had charged toward Hicks, Fanning said.

Hicks initially was placed on leave after the March 21 shooting, but he went back on patrol Friday night.

"The preliminary investigation has given me enough evidence to place him back on duty,'' Fanning said, adding that he believes Hicks' actions were justified.

"The officers did a very good job of restraining themselves,'' Fanning said. He said they resorted to deadly force only when the Gavers left them no other choice.

The Gaver family is well-known in Boise, where at least three members played in a Christian band called Matthew 24 Now outside an Albertsons supermarket and posted signs with a biblical verse.

The incident began when a female Walmart employee tried to use a women's restroom and was prevented from doing so, getting pushed out of the way. Nathan Gaver told police that his mother, Ruth, was using the restroom, and that he and his brother Jeremiah were guarding it.

In another video clip, police arrive at the scene, where a large group of people are standing near a Chevrolet Suburban. The brawl ensues almost immediately after the third and fourth officers arrive.

Fanning said he still does not understand why the Gavers chose to fight his officers, rather than simply speaking to them. He said the likely outcome of the call would have been a misdemeanor citation with no one going to jail if the Gavers had not escalated the incident.

"I have no reason why they decided to fight us,'' Fanning said.

The officers and the Gavers are seen punching each other on the video. At some point, an officer attempts to use a stun gun to bring the Gavers under control, but that appears to have little effect.

After Daniels is seen on the ground, struggling with one of the Gavers, Hicks is seen using the baton to strike the man. Later, Hicks pulls out his gun. The video captures the flash from the gun's muzzle.

But even the fatal shooting doesn't end the brawl. Additional officers arrive on the scene and fight with other members of the Gaver family to bring them under control.

Five Gavers were arrested by police and booked into the Yavapai County Jail on a variety of charges, including aggravated assault on a police officer, hindering prosecution and resisting arrest.