A man wielding a machete who was allegedly holding a baby hostage has been shot by police.
Officers were called out to reports of alleged domestic violence, where a woman claimed her brother-in-law was holding a baby hostage with a machete.
According to the person who alerted cops the man was threatening to use the weapon on anyone who attempted to take the child.
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Officers arrived at the scene, meeting the child’s mother outside of the home, near 31st Avenue and Bethany Home Road, in Phoenix, Arizona, US.
The mother of the baby claimed her brother was inside the home with her husband, who was holding the child hostage.
Officers called out to the brother who exited out of the front door, exposing a man sitting on the sofa with a machete, at this point no baby could be seen.
After refusing to move, officers fired two projectiles from a 40mm launcher which were ineffective.
The noise caused the baby to start crying, which led to the man confirming the child’s presence in the house.
As the officers moved closer to the door they could see the baby was sitting on the man’s lap with the large weapon in his hand.
The cops once again asked the man to leave the home which he refused, prompting one of the officers to fire his rifle, hitting the man.
After being shot he fell to the floor with cops moving in to disarm him and get the baby to safety, as reported by Need To Know.
The fire department rushed the child to hospital, where he was treated for minor injuries before being discharged.
Officers provided aid whilst waiting for paramedics, who took the man to hospital – he spent two days inside before being discharged and booked into the Maricopa County Jail.
The man is now facing multiple felony charges, including aggravated assault and kidnapping.
The officer assigned to the Cactus Park Precinct, who shot him, has been with the department for four years and is now under investigation.
The Department of Public Safety’s Major Incident Division, are looking into whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy.
A spokesperson for the Phoenix Police Department stated: “This incident is the subject of a criminal investigation being conducted by the Department of Public Safety’s Major Incident Division.
“The investigation will be reviewed by the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office. It is also the subject of an administrative investigation being conducted by the Phoenix Police Department
“Conclusions about whether the actions of the officers are consistent with department policy and the law will not be made until all facts are known and the investigation is complete.”
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