Mesa Police Department fires officer charged with second-degree murder

The Mesa Police Department has terminated Officer Phillip "Mitch" Brailsford, who is charged with second-degree murder in connection with an on-duty shooting, according to a police statement released Monday.

Brailsford stands accused of using unnecessary force in January against Daniel Shaver, a 26-year-old man from Texas who was visiting the Valley for business.

Brailsford shot at Shaver five times at a La Quinta Inn and Suites in Mesa after responding to a call about a man seen with a gun through the hotel's fifth-floor window.

After reviewing the incident, Mesa Police Chief John Meza decided to terminate Brailsford, effective immediately, the statement said.

Brailsford has 15 days to appeal the termination, police said.

Police said they could not release additional information because of the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office continuing investigation.

The Mesa Police Association said in an emailed statement Monday night that it was disappointed the city of Mesa "interfered with Officer Mitch Brailsford’s due process and allowed this case to be tried in the court of public opinion before being heard in the court of law."

The association noted that probable cause has not been established, and that firing him prior to a preliminary hearing has probably hurt his chances of receiving a fair trial.

"We are hopeful that as this process continues, it will be clear that Officer Brailsford responded reasonably and within the law during that critical incident," the association said.