In the early morning hours of Monday, June 30, 2025, Graham County Sheriff deputies responded to a call concerning shots being fired at a residence east of Safford. The reporting party told the 911 operator that his neighbor had shot at him.
While officers were enroute to the scene, dispatch alerted them that the reporting party was angry and cursing and said that he was in danger and that the police also wanted to kill him. The man demanded that state police respond to the call, then went on to threaten the dispatch operator.
Multiple officers arrived on the scene and interviewed reporting party as well as the neighbor he accused of shooting at him. The accused neighbors told authorities that they had not left the house but heard what sounded like a firework a short time earlier. A second neighbor also told authorities they heard a firecracker or some kind of firework earlier.
When authorities approached the reporting party’s house, they called out, “Sheriff’s Office,” to alert the man they were approaching his home. The man was standing in front of the front door but refused to come out and talk to the officers, claiming that his neighbor had a gun and had been shooting at him. When asked where the alleged shot hit his house the man said he didn’t know but that he had heard a loud boom. He insisted that he knows what a gun sounds like and the sound he heard was not fireworks. Officers asked if they could look around his house to see if there were any bullet holes, but the man refused and insisted that they arrest his neighbor.
Officers decided to leave since the reporting party was being uncooperative. One deputy stayed behind for a short time to monitor the situation. While still there a neighbor told the deputy that the man who called them out there was throwing rocks at their house. The deputy stood between the two houses but did not see any evidence. While standing there the original reporting party came out and asked why he was there. The deputy said he was making sure everybody was safe. He told the man not to throw rocks, which elicited a fiery response from the man telling the deputy not to accuse him unless he had proof.
Before leaving the area, the deputy went back to the neighbor who reported rock throwing and suggested she get an injunction against her neighbor.
