Guns drawn at Sky Harbor Airport on former Cardinals football player mistaken for a homicide suspect
The Brief
Former Arizona Cardinals linebacker Wesley Leasy was ordered by police at gunpoint to get down on the ground while picking up his daughter from Sky Harbor Airport.
Leasy says he and his daughter are still processing what transpired.
Police say they mistook Leasy as a suspect in a murder in Mesa who was driving a similar vehicle.
PHOENIX - Intense moments for a former Arizona Cardinals football player and his daughter who were ordered to get down on the ground by police at gunpoint at Sky Harbor Airport.
"It's a lot of cops there. I mean 15 to 20 cops are there and they all have their - I'm not a gun guy - machine guns, semi-automatic weapons. All of them have these weapons out and they're pointing at us," said Wesley Leasy, who played for the Cardinals from 1995 to 96.
What we know
This happened earlier in April.
Police say they were tracking a suspect wanted for a murder in Mesa.
Police body cam video shows it all playing out.
Leasy said he was just picking up his daughter from the airport when police surrounded him, demanding both of them to get on the ground.
Investigators say Leasy was driving a vehicle that matched the suspect's vehicle description: a white Mercedes with a temporary license plate.
They cornered him at the airport.
What they're saying
Leasy says the whole ordeal left him and his daughter pretty shaken up.
"She was there," Leasy said. "I mean she saw, first-of-all, her life being in danger and my life being endangered has been horrifying for her. Traumatic, and now, as a dad, you're trying to comfort her and trying to help her realize what happened, what transpired, and we still don't understand. She's still, and I don't, we still don't know what happened."
Leasy was detained and later released after officers determined he was not the suspect they were looking for.
We're told a description of the shooter was not relayed to officers, who identified him as a white man.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Amazon Flex delivery driver has car stolen while dropping off packages in North Austin
The Brief An Amazon Flex delivery driver said her car was stolen while she was dropping off packages The thief is now using the woman's EBT card that was left inside the car Amazon responded to the incident AUSTIN, Texas - An Amazon Flex delivery driver said her car was stolen while she was dropping off packages. Local perspective Stephanie Board was delivering packages for Amazon early Sunday morning. "I took the route that was from 3:15 a.m all the way until like seven o'clock, and I was almost done, so I was excited when I was on my route because I was like, ok, it's about 6:30-ish, I'm almost done. So here I am just determined to get it done and get back to my kids," delivery driver Stephanie Board said. She said she pulled up to a home in the Quail Creek Neighborhood in North Austin, her car was still running. "I'm just thinking, you know, I'm going to hop in and out real quickly," Board said. Board said she grabbed the package out of her car, walked to the front door, dropped it off, and scanned it. When she turned around, Board said, "I look up and I see a guy that I've never seen before. He hops out of a Mercedes, I think it was, and he gets into the driver's side of my car." Board said she tried to stop the man. "I kind of try to get in front of him to stop him from taking the vehicle, but he still goes around and leaves in the vehicle," Board said. She said it felt like a movie. "Panicking, nervous, just disbelief and distraught that something like this was happening," Board said. Apparently, her car had all of her personal items inside, including her credit, debit, and social security cards. "I see that they are currently using my EBT card. They were at the local Sam's that was out south, and it looks like they were at some supermarkets here in the East Austin area, so they're all over Austin, so you might want to just be mindful," Board said. Board and her son have a message to whoever is behind this. "Just do the right thing and return the car because you've taken away from a mother that's trying to support her kids and have a survival for them and stable living," Board said. "I would just like for the person to just give us our car," Board's son, Demarion Ewing said. What they're saying Amazon spokesperson Steve Kelly released a statement on the incident: "Our team has reached out to Ms. Board to offer support and assistance relating to this unfortunate incident. Safety is our top priority, which is why we continue to innovate and invest in comprehensive safety measures that help keep Amazon Flex delivery partners and the communities they serve safe. In addition to contacting law enforcement, Amazon's 24/7 Emergency Assistance Helpline stands ready to provide support to delivery partners if unexpected situations arise." Amazon does provide various forms of assistance when situations arise, including filing insurance claims to help drivers and pay for missed delivery blocks. The Source Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Meredith Aldis
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Update: 2 men in custody after suspected explosive device found in Grand Forks County traffic stop
Jun. 11—REYNOLDS, N.D. — Two people have been arrested on suspicion of possession of explosives after a suspected explosive device was found during a traffic stop in Grand Forks County. Driver Gabriel Patrick Messmer, 41, and passenger Christopher Ryan Ringsrud-Knowles, 42, both of Fargo, were taken into custody shortly after noon Wednesday, June 11, and are being held in the Grand Forks County Correctional Center, according to jail documents. Neither appears to have been formally charged in district court as of Wednesday evening. Southbound Interstate 29 was closed from about 10:55 a.m. to 1 p.m. between Thompson and Reynolds after a North Dakota Highway Patrol trooper found what was believed to be an explosive device in a passenger vehicle during a traffic stop, according to a press release from the NDHP. The vehicle, a 2001 Mercedes-Benz CL2, had been stopped at about 8:40 a.m. due to illegal window tint when the trooper, based on probable cause, searched the vehicle and found the device. The Grand Forks Bomb Squad, made up of personnel from the Grand Forks Sheriff's Office, Grand Forks Police Department and UND Police Department, was contacted and responded to the scene, followed by the road closure for public safety. At about 12:10 p.m., the device was safely detonated on site, the release said. The bomb squad then used an X-ray screening and other search methods to deem the vehicle cleared. Evidence was then collected. The investigation remains ongoing. The Thompson Police Department, Reynolds Fire and Altru Ambulance were also involved during the incident.
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
3 DC police cruisers struck, 4 officers injured in Northeast crash
WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Four officers were hurt after three Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) cruisers were struck on Wednesday. DC man arrested in 14 alleged vehicle-related thefts According to police, the crash occurred on 62nd and Dix Street Northeast, following a stolen vehicle pursuit in the area. A Mercedes with Virginia plates was stolen out of D.C. and hit three cruisers. The four officers were taken to hospitals while conscious and breathing. One of the officers had their foot run over by the Mercedes, while two others were hurt after their cruisers were struck. MPD is looking for two suspects. This is a developing story. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
