Jury Convicts Essa Williams in 2021 Shooting of Phoenix Officer Tyler Moldovan

Coverage spread: 3 sources — 3 unrated

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Where they agree

Essa Williams was found guilty on all counts, including attempted murder and aggravated assault, for shooting Officer Tyler Moldovan eight times during a December 2021 call about cars doing donuts near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road.
Moldovan, then a 22-year-old rookie nine months on the job, nearly died, spent months in rehabilitation, and eventually recovered enough to make public appearances.
Williams was a parolee with prior felony convictions who was legally barred from possessing a firearm.
The jury deliberated quickly, and a further aggravation/sentencing phase is scheduled for August 25.

Where they differ

ABC15 and FOX 10 give the most detailed blow-by-blow of the encounter, including the alleged 30-second confrontation, the 15 rounds fired, and Williams’ quoted words from body camera video; AZFamily’s account is more condensed.
FOX 10 is alone in detailing the defense’s self-defense argument — that a botched, backup-less police response caused Williams to react out of fear.
FOX 10 includes Moldovan’s own emotional courtroom testimony about a hospital visit from his brother, which the other outlets omit.
AZFamily and FOX 10 both quote the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association’s full statement praising the verdict, while ABC15 does not include any union or police reaction.

A Maricopa County jury found Essa Williams guilty on all counts, including attempted murder and aggravated assault, for shooting Phoenix Police Officer Tyler Moldovan eight times during a December 2021 traffic stop. The verdict came Thursday, August 13, after jurors deliberated for less than an hour; a separate aggravation phase, which may address sentencing, is set for August 25.

What happened the night Moldovan was shot?

On December 14, 2021, rookie Officer Tyler Moldovan — nine months into the job — and his partner, Officer Zach Johnson, responded to reports of cars doing donuts near 19th Avenue and Camelback Road in Phoenix. Additional calls directed officers to 15th Avenue and Camelback, where they spotted a black Dodge Charger. When officers approached, a man later identified as Essa Williams, then 24, jumped a fence into a nearby apartment complex. Moldovan found Williams hiding on a covered patio, reportedly on the phone with his girlfriend. Prosecutors say the entire encounter lasted about 30 seconds: body camera footage allegedly shows Williams asking, “What y’all gonna do? You gonna lock me up?” before pulling a gun and firing 15 rounds. Moldovan, then 22, was hit up to eight times, including once in the head. Prosecutors say Williams also intended to shoot Officer Johnson before Johnson tackled and arrested him.

What has happened to Officer Moldovan since?

Moldovan was given little chance of survival immediately after the shooting and spent months in the hospital undergoing rehabilitation, including daily therapy at Craig Hospital in Denver. He recovered enough to make public appearances, including throwing out ceremonial first pitches at a Arizona Diamondbacks home opener in 2023 and again during that year’s World Series at Chase Field. During the trial, which began July 15, Moldovan testified — with news cameras barred from showing his face — describing, at times emotionally, a visit from his brother while he was hospitalized in Denver.

What did the defense argue?

Williams’ attorney argued self-defense, claiming a disorganized police response to what should have been a minor traffic call led Moldovan to approach Williams in the dark without backup, without identifying himself as an officer, and then grab him — prompting Williams to react out of fear. Prosecutors countered with the body camera account and the rapid gunfire, and noted Williams was a parolee with nine prior felony convictions who was legally barred from possessing a firearm at the time.

How did police and officials react to the verdict?

A Phoenix police spokesperson said the department remains grateful to the investigative team, law enforcement partners and prosecutors, adding that the verdict “provides an important measure of accountability” but “does not erase the impact this incident has had.” The Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, through President Darrell Kriplean, called the shooting “brutal and calculated” and said Moldovan’s survival was “nothing short of a miracle.” The union statement said the verdict sends “an unmistakable message” that those who attack police will be held accountable, and praised Moldovan as representing the courage police are asked to show daily.

What happens next?

The jury is scheduled to reconvene on August 25 for the aggravation phase of the case, which court officials and outlets indicate may also touch on sentencing. No sentencing date beyond that has been specified in available reporting.

Why this case drew attention

The shooting became a high-profile symbol locally of the risks facing patrol officers, in part because of how close Moldovan came to dying and how public his recovery became, including his appearances at Diamondbacks games. The case also drew scrutiny over Williams’ criminal history — nine prior felony convictions and parolee status barring him from gun possession — which fed into the prosecution’s framing of the shooting as unprovoked, while the defense sought to shift focus onto how police handled the initial response.

Sources

Featured photo: Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)