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Information for the following update was shared to the CopBlock Network by Phoenix resident Kelly Brown, via the CopBlock.org Submissions Page.

This case involves the murder of Daniel Shaver, who had traveled to Arizona from Nashville on business, by Mesa Police Officer Philip Brailsford. Shaver was unarmed at the time he was shot five times by Brailsford as he crawled on his stomach in the hallway outside his hotel room at a local La Quinta Inn.

As has been previously described by Shaver’s widow, Laney Sweet:

Daniel was traveling for work in Mesa, Arizona. He makes this trip 2-3 times a month and frequently services pest removal stores there. He carries his work equipment: two pellet guns (one approved for flying and one that is not allowed due to an air compressor, I believe.) among other things like a pump, ect. with him on every trip. Due to how expensive his company’s pellet guns are, he takes his hard case into his hotel room every night. Daniel had dinner with two individuals, a man and woman, in the evening at a local restaurant. They returned to the hotel and went to his room together. I spoke with him on the phone and he had also been online and playing a game with a friend. At some point, someone near the pool called the local police stating that they saw a man with a gun near the window of a 5th floor hotel room. Whether Daniel was the one holding it or he allowed the other man to view his equipment and look into the scope, we don’t know. The man left the room at some point, for what we think was a trip to the gas station. Shortly after, three police arrived to his hotel room and Daniel and the woman came to the door. When asked to step out of the room they both did without hesitation. We were told that Daniel was not aggressive but that he failed to listen when instructing to NOT put his hands behind his back. Due to him putting his hands behind his back, the Mesa, AZ police department took forceful action and shot him. Daniel passed away in the hallway of his hotel, unarmed.

Shaver’s shooting and the subsequent filing of second degree murder charges against Ofc. Brailsford were previously covered in posts by Severin Freeman, Joshua Scott Hotchkin, and Asa J.

In spite of Brailsford being charged with murder, it’s now being reported that he will be offered a plea deal that includes no jail time at all. As you can see in the video embedded below, Maricopa County Attorney Bill Montgomery is rather offended by the idea that somebody would criticize him for allowing a cop to walk without any jail time whatsoever after murdering an innocent, unarmed man and father of young two children, and whose widow is currently pregnant.

After all, he charged Brailsford with second degree murder (before offering him a plea bargain that completely invalidates that) and he can’t bring Shaver back to life, which would be the “perfect justice” in this case.

So, obviously, if they are going to “fall short” of that there’s no point in even bothering to punish in any sort of meaningful way a cop that unnecessarily murdered someone. How dare you insinuate otherwise.

Not surprisingly, Shaver’s wife is very angry about the deal, especially considering some of the indicators into Brailsford’s mindset that have come to light since the murder of her husband. (A GoFundMe account has been set up by Daniel Shaver’s family to help offset the costs associated with his burial and the lack of his income.)

Equally unsurprisingly, the Mesa Police Officer’s Union is enthusiastically backing Officer Brailsford.