Man shot by Phoenix police for throwing rocks at them had mental illness, family says

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) – A loving brother. A devoted son. A good man. That’s how family and friends describe Ali Osman, 34, who died Saturday night during an encounter with Phoenix police. osman was allegedly throwing rocks at officers when he was shot and killed.

On Tuesday, Osman’s family and lawyers held a news conference to express their outrage at what happened. “They could have used any other non-lethal method,” said Osman’s niece, Ikran Aden. “They could have tested it, got help through reinforcements, any other way than shooting him. It was bad, really bad, on a small rock. That is not justified.”

According to Phoenix police, two different officers were driving near 19th Avenue, south of Glendale Avenue, when they heard something hit their patrol car around 6:45 p.m. Saturday. The officers stopped and saw Osman throwing stones at them. They reportedly told Osman to stop throwing stones, but when he refused, the officers opened fire.

“As a former police officer who supports the blues, I cannot fathom a set of circumstances that were described to us that would justify this young black man being shot by police on the streets of our city for throwing rocks,” said Quacy Smith, the family lawyer.

Relatives said Osman suffered from mental illness and was receiving regular treatment. He had been living in Tucson and came to Phoenix to visit friends. It is not clear why he was throwing rocks at the officers.

The Arizona family contacted the Phoenix Police Department and received this statement:

A witness video taken at the scene shows someone experienced in counseling and intervention offering to help police defuse the situation before anyone is hurt. “It’s really hard,” said Halima Osman, the victim’s sister. “I can’t describe how I feel. Ali was really special in my heart.”

“He is one of the best people I have ever met,” said his friend Loay Alyousfi. “He didn’t deserve this.”

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