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Mesa police shoot, kill man they say had knife
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Mesa police gather in front of a house in the 4900 block of East Colby in Mesa, where there was an officer-involved shooting Friday, Nov. 6, 2009.
Darryl Webb, Tribune
A Mesa police officer shot and killed a 22-year-old man who allegedly pulled a knife on officers Friday.
Officers went to the man’s home in the 4900 block of East Colby Street, near Higley Road and University Drive, at 1:10 p.m. to help the man’s girlfriend serve him with an order of protection.
The court order was filed by a woman at the address of the home in connection with a domestic violence incident, Detective Mike Melendez said.
The order of protection was filed against Jeffrey Heinze, 22, the day of the fatal shooting.
Police did not release the name of the man who was fatally shot, but a spokeswoman with the Maricopa County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed the office has Heinze’s body, which she said will be examined for cause of death Monday.
No officers were injured in the confrontation with the man.
Neighbors said they saw police at the house twice on Friday.
The first time, about 11 a.m., police spoke with the man outside the home and placed him in handcuffs, but then released him.
Neighbors said the man often had loud arguments with a woman, and he had problems with neighbors.
“I just thought he was a noisy neighbor who was inconsiderate,” said Stephanie Morris, who has lived in the neighborhood for seven years.
Morris said the man owned an older Volkswagen bus that was loud, and he would drive it around the neighborhood at least once a week.
Deniece Boronda said neighbors feared the man, and they kept their kids inside when he came out.
Boronda said police have been to the house several times.
Morris said the man argued with a neighbor who complained about the noise last summer.
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