Former Arizona prisons director was drinking before armed standoff in Tempe, report says

Law enforcement reports acquired by The Arizona Republic reveal more details about an armed standoff between former Arizona prisons Director Charles Ryan and Tempe police at his Tempe residence on Jan. 6.

The reports say police responded to Ryan's home that evening in response to a report that Ryan had injured himself with a firearm.

"Police attempted to make contact with Charles, who refused to leave the residence, until he pointed the firearm at police, who were outside of the residence," the report states. "After barricading himself inside the residence, Charles later surrendered and was placed under arrest."

The report says Ryan was taken to Chandler Regional Hospital to be treated for a gunshot wound.

Officers reported fearing for their lives

An officer narrative from Blake Dunn said, "Charles Ryan committed aggravated assault" when he pointed a hand gun at two police officers "causing them to fear for their safety."

A separate narrative characterized Ryan's actions as causing the police officers "to fear for their lives."

The report says Ryan's wife, Kathleen, initially called police, telling them her husband had shot himself in the bathroom at the home and still had the gun in his hand. Ryan's wife told police he had not made any statements about harming himself or others, they had not been fighting, and he had not experienced any recent trauma in his life.

Ryan's wife told officers she was afraid, and so escorted her adult daughter out of the home before calling police.

Ryan's wife told police she heard a loud boom from their bathroom. When she approached Ryan, she saw "his right hand was covered with blood and he was bleeding from the head."

Related: Former DOC director arrested after armed standoff with police

Ryan's wife reported his alcohol consumption

Ryan's wife told police that her husband drank "half of a large bottle of tequila" that evening, and admitted her husband was a heavy drinker, especially in the past two years.

The report states Ryan's wife told police it is not abnormal for him to think that someone is trying to break into their home, and he "does commonly patrol the property at night after consuming alcohol." She told police Ryan also takes the sleep aid Ambien.

Under questioning at the hospital, Ryan told police he had consumed two shots of tequila earlier in the evening.

SWAT team, tactical vehicle, police robot used in standoff

When police responded, the report stated seven homes surrounding the Ryan's home were evacuated. A tactical armored vehicle, SWAT team, negotiators and robot were used by police in the standoff.

According to the report, officers were dispatched to the residence just after 9 p.m., and Ryan did not leave the home until several hours later, at 1 a.m. the next day.

The report stated the Tempe Fire Department was on the scene and assessed Ryan's injuries before he was taken to the hospital.

Inside the home, Tempe detectives found "a large amount of blood and a semiautomatic pistol that was covered in blood."

A separate officer narrative stated that after arriving on the scene, police were able to establish contact with Ryan over the phone, but he kept hanging up on them and refused to talk with officers.

When questioned at the hospital, Ryan said he did not know why police had come to his house and he did not remember pointing a gun at them.

Related: Former Arizona prisons director could face felony charges after armed standoff with police

Police said Ryan refused their commands

A report from Officer Fahed Salameh stated that police used lights, sirens, and loudspeaker announcements to try and get Ryan to come out of the home but he did not respond to their commands.

Salameh's report states Ryan exited the home into the garage at one point, revealing he was holding a firearm. Ryan ignored several commands to show police his hands. A separate officer narrative stated, "I realized that the black object initially observed by Officer Salameh and myself was Charles pointing the barrel of the handgun at us."

At this point, Salameh wrote that another officer shot at Ryan with a bean bag shotgun round. Ryan retreated back into the house, then opened the garage door again, still concealing his body and refusing orders to show his hands. Officers stated they then shot Ryan with a second bean bag round. The report states a Tempe SWAT team was eventually called in to assist with the standoff.

A transcript of body camera footage shows officers told Ryan several times to "Drop the gun!"

A negotiator who spoke with Ryan over the telephone wrote in a report that "I noted each time that he was antagonistic when I called but could not appear to hear me and was slurring his words."

The reports state at one point Tempe police used a robot to open the front door and give Ryan commands to come outside. The report describes Ryan as "extremely dazed and confused and appeared to not know what was going on."

Police seized multiple guns from home

Police seized multiple guns inside the house after Ryan was taken into custody. Ryan’s wife had reported there were several guns in the home.

Tempe police conducted a search warrant of the Chandler Regional Medical Center and reviewed Ryan's medical records. The report states: "Analysis of Charles' blood revealed a blood alcohol concentration of 105mg/dL. Tests for illicit drugs were negative." 105 mg/dL is somewhat higher than the legal limit to drive in Arizona.

A review of the scene by Tempe police found that "it is likely that fragmentation from the unintentional firearm discharge into the sink caused the injury to Charles' forehead and resulted in the limited blood in the bathroom, the pillows on the bed, and the blood on Charles that Kathleen reported." Tempe police reports stated they believed Ryan's hand injury was from the bean bag round fired at him by officers.

Police reports stated 16 pistols, rifles, and shotguns were confiscated from Ryan's home. "It should be noted," the report states, "not all listed firearms had an identifiable serial number." State law prohibits "Possessing a defaced deadly weapon knowing the deadly weapon was defaced."

According to Tempe police, Ryan was never held in a Tempe holding facility or booked in a Maricopa County jail. In a follow-up report on Jan. 12, Kathleen Ryan indicated her husband was at home with her.

Tempe police said in a statement they submitted several recommended charges to the Maricopa County Attorney's Office. "After a comprehensive review of police reports, body worn camera footage, and witness interviews, the Tempe Police Department has submitted the following charges against Charles Ryan; Two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, and one count of unlawful discharge of a firearm."

A spokesperson for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office said they were still reviewing the charges.

Who to reach out to for help

For anyone struggling or in a crisis, here are several places to call for help:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Service Administration hotline can help those struggling with substance abuse at 1-800-662-4357 at any time.

• For the Crisis Text Line, text TALK to 741741 to text with a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7.

• Dial 2-1-1 to reach 211 Arizona, which can connect callers to Resilient Arizona Crisis Counseling Program 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Or dial 1-877-211-8661.

• The Teen Lifeline 24/7 crisis line can be reached at 602-248-8336 for Maricopa County and 1-800-248-8336 statewide.

• The Maricopa County Suicide and Crisis Hotline can be reached at 1-800-631-1314 or 602-222-9444.

Have a news tip about Arizona prisons? Reach the reporter at [email protected] or at 812-243-5582. Follow him on Twitter @JimmyJenkins.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Report: Charles Ryan was drinking before standoff with Tempe police