Police ID officer who shot at unarmed man

By Brian Nordli

Thursday, June 6, 2013 | 6:16 p.m.

The Metro Police officer who shot at and missed an unarmed man has been identified as Officer Daniel Perry.

Perry, 34, who works as a downtown patrol officer, was placed on paid administrative leave while police investigate the Tuesday shooting.

Perry and another patrol officer had arrived at the Oasis Ridge Apartments complex at 3040 E. Charletson Boulevard, to investigate a report from an out-of-state parent that said a family member was suicidal. When police arrived on scene, the man began throwing baseball- and softball-sized landscaping rocks at them, Deputy Chief Al Salinas said.

The man then reached into his pocket and pulled out what was described as a dark object and pointed it at the officers like a firearm. Perry reacted and shot at the man, who fell to the ground, Salinas said.

The dark object turned out to be a cell phone.

Perry has been employed by Metro Police since 2008.