Coverage spread: 2 sources — 2 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- Brian Sutton, a former Prescott police officer, was sentenced to seven years in prison for manslaughter.
- The conviction stems from the fatal shooting of Daniel Leslie during a police search on June 8, 2024.
- Sutton was convicted after a five-day trial in June 2025.
Where they differ
- AZFamily provides extensive detail on the incident, including body camera footage, the timeline of Leslie fleeing police, and the DPS investigation finding him unarmed.
- 12 News offers only a brief confirmation of the sentence and conviction, citing court records, without narrative detail on the shooting itself.
Brian Sutton, a former Prescott police officer convicted of manslaughter for fatally shooting an unarmed man in 2024, has been sentenced to seven years in prison. He was found guilty in June after a five-day trial in the death of Daniel Leslie, who was shot while fleeing inside a home during a police search.
What led to the shooting?
On the morning of June 7, 2024, Prescott police were called to a home on Sycamore Drive after reports that Leslie had threatened his girlfriend and tried to break into an RV where she was staying. Leslie fled before officers arrived, was later spotted in a car, and fled again. The following day, Sutton and another officer went back to the neighborhood to look for him. While the second officer circled to the back of the house, Sutton found Leslie standing in the carport.
What does the body camera video show?
According to AZFamily’s account of the footage, Sutton initially tried to talk Leslie into approaching him, but Leslie refused and told him to get off his property. Sutton then drew his handgun and ordered Leslie to step toward him. As Leslie turned and ran into the house, Sutton opened fire. Leslie was found wounded on the kitchen floor as other officers cleared the scene. He was taken to a local hospital and then flown to Phoenix, where he later died.
Was Leslie armed?
No. The Arizona Department of Public Safety investigated the shooting and later that year determined Leslie was unarmed, recommending criminal charges against Sutton. Sutton was placed on administrative leave following the investigation and was no longer employed by the City of Prescott by the time charges were filed in May 2025. He had been on the job only six months at the time of the shooting.
How did the case move through court?
Sutton was charged in May 2025 with one felony count of manslaughter. He went to trial and was convicted in June after five days of proceedings. He has now been sentenced to seven years in prison, according to court records.
Why this case matters
The case is notable both for the outcome — a rare criminal conviction and prison sentence for an on-duty police shooting — and for the role body camera footage played in establishing what happened in the moments before Sutton fired. The finding that Leslie was unarmed was central to the state’s decision to pursue charges, distinguishing the case from many police shootings where officers claim they perceived an armed threat.
What’s still unclear
The available reporting does not detail Sutton’s defense at trial, whether he plans to appeal, or specifics of his current legal status beyond the sentence. Neither source elaborates on department policy changes or discipline beyond his separation from the Prescott Police Department.
Sources
Featured photo: Surat Lozowick via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 3.0)