At around 8 p.m. on Sept. 28, 2020, a Peoria Police Sergeant was involved in an officer involved shooting while conducting traffic enforcement in the area of 87th Ave. and West Monroe St. The suspect was shot once and was transported to the hospital and is still being treated for his injuries. No officers were injured. 

Preliminary information shows the sergeant was conducting directed patrol in the area of 87th Ave. and West Monroe St. due to traffic complaints.  The sergeant was in a marked police vehicle parked on West Monroe St., just west of N. 87th Ave. on the south side of the road monitoring the intersection.  

While the sergeant was parked on the side of the road with his lights off, a vehicle slowly drove by him eastbound on West Monroe St..  The vehicle then turned south on N. 87th Ave. and abruptly made a U-turn to quickly turn back north on 87th Ave.  The vehicle started to proceed north through the intersection and then quickly made a left turn in the intersection and drove directly at the sergeant’s vehicle.  Due to the erratic behavior of the driver and the fact that the vehicle was heading directly at the sergeant, he fired at least one round at the driver, striking the driver in the face.  Please see the diagram below for a depiction of the vehicle placement and the suspect’s route of travel. 

The sergeant summoned for assistance and for medical aid.  Additional officers responded and detained the driver and the passenger. Paramedics responded, and the suspect was transported by ground to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries, and is still currently being treated. No citizens and no officers were injured during the incident. The Sergeant involved in this incident was wearing a body worn camera but the camera was not activated, as he was parked monitoring traffic when the vehicle abruptly drove at him. 

The suspect in this case is a 15-year-old, male, the passenger; also a juvenile was later released to an adult guardian.  

We appreciate the patience and support of our community members while we conducted a thorough investigation.  

On Sept. 26, 2020, at approximately 7 p.m., Peoria Police Officers responded to a shoplifting call at Wal-Mart located at 21655 North Lake Pleasant Parkway. The caller, an employee at the business, reported a male suspect was concealing items while he was inside of the store. Officers arrived and contacted the suspect in the parking lot of the business. As the officers attempted to detain the suspect, he resisted and was able to enter his vehicle, start the vehicle, and reversed as the vehicle doors were open, striking two officers. The front passenger-side door struck the officer so hard that the door could no longer close. The two officers received minor injuries and were evaluated at the scene by Peoria Fire-Medical.

The suspect vehicle fled the scene and was located by an officer in the area of 9900 West Beardsley Road. The officer attempted to make a traffic stop on the vehicle but it failed to stop and fled at an excessive rate of speed and officers did not pursue the vehicle.

A responding air unit located the vehicle and followed it to the area of 9900 West Glendale Ave. Officers in the area located the suspect as he exited his vehicle and he was taken into custody without further incident.

The suspect has been identified as Gabriel Brandin, a 40-year-old, resident of Avondale. He was processed at the Peoria Police Department and later booked into the 4th Avenue Jail on several charges including, aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, unlawful flight, endangerment, shoplifting, possession of drug paraphernalia, and driving under the influence. Charges may be added or amended, as this is an ongoing investigation. 

Peoria Police seek the public’s help in locating, Kristopher Nay, a 27-year-old male. He is described as a white male, 5’6”, approximately 230lbs., with long blonde hair. He was last seen wearing a white tank top, gray jeans and black shoes.  

Kristopher was last seen on August 22, around 11:00pm, at his residence in the area of 7200 W Peoria Ave. He left on foot without anyone knowing. According to caretakers, Kristopher is diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder as well as PTSD and is in need of daily medication, which he did not take with him. Officers have been actively looking for Kristopher, but have not been able to locate him. It is unknown where Kristopher may be headed.

Anyone who sees Kristopher is encouraged to contact Police. A photo of Kristopher is below.