Arizona deputy shoots man who threatened to kill himself

KINGMAN, Ariz. — A former Carson City man who moved to Fort Mohave about a month ago was killed Tuesday in an officer-involved shooting. He was identified as Michael Alan Thomas, 47.

Mohave County sheriff’s office spokeswoman Trish Carter said Deputy Sean Watson responded at 7:40 p.m. to a 911 call that Thomas made from a Fort Mohave pay phone. The caller had threatened to kill himself and possibly another person, Carter said.

Watson shot and killed Thomas when he charged the deputy with a knife near the fuel island of a grocery store in the 4800 block of Arizona Route 95, Carter said. Thomas was pronounced dead after he was taken to a nearby hospital.

Watson, a 6½-year sheriff’s office veteran, was placed on paid administrative leave which is policy while officer-involved shootings are reviewed in the state.

The shooting will be investigated by Bullhead City police. It is customary for an outside police agency review such incidents.

It was the second fatal officer-involved shooting this year for the Mohave County sheriff’s office, which has 92 certified peace officers.

An independent investigation of the previous incident determined that Deputy Jeff Davis was justified and acted in self-defense when he shot and killed a pipe-wielding assailant Sept. 4 in Kingman.

William Bonnee, 30, of Kingman was shot when he charged the officer after refusing repeated commands to drop his weapon.