Coverage spread: 3 sources — 3 unrated
Lean ratings via AllSides / Media Bias-Fact-Check. How this works.
Where they agree
- A man was reported to have a gun inside Dunes Cocktail Lounge near 35th and Dunlap avenues in Phoenix just after 2 a.m. on August 25.
- Police evacuated all other patrons and employees safely before securing the scene.
- Officers have been communicating with the armed man via loudspeaker in an attempt to resolve the standoff peacefully.
- Dunlap Avenue has been shut down because of the incident, and the public is urged to avoid the area.
Where they differ
- AZFamily provides the most operational detail, noting officers with guns drawn are stationed around the bar and identifying the Phoenix police special assignments unit as leading negotiations.
- AZFamily specifies that eastbound traffic is unaffected by the closure, a detail the other outlets omit.
- 12 News offers only a brief, one-line update confirming negotiations are underway, with far less detail than FOX 10 or AZFamily.
- FOX 10 attributes its account directly to the Phoenix Police Department as its named source, while AZFamily cites unnamed witnesses for the initial report of the gun.
A man with a gun barricaded himself inside a Phoenix bar early Tuesday morning, prompting police to evacuate other patrons and staff, shut down a stretch of road, and begin negotiations with the man over a loudspeaker. No injuries have been reported.
What happened at the bar?
Phoenix police responded just after 2 a.m. on August 25 to Dunes Cocktail Lounge, near 35th and Dunlap avenues, after witnesses reported seeing a man pull out a firearm inside the business. Officers arriving on scene made sure all customers and employees got out of the building safely before securing the area.
What are police doing now?
Officers taped off the scene and positioned several personnel with guns drawn around the bar. Investigators with the Phoenix Police Department’s special assignments unit — a unit typically used for crisis negotiation — have been trying to talk the man into surrendering, communicating with him over a loudspeaker. As of 6 a.m., the man remained inside the bar and the standoff was ongoing.
Is the road closed?
Yes. Both lanes of Dunlap Avenue are closed at 35th Avenue because of the incident. Police say eastbound traffic in the area is not affected, but they’re asking residents and drivers to avoid the area until the situation is resolved.
Why does this matter locally?
Barricade situations involving armed individuals in public businesses are treated as high-risk incidents that require significant police resources — negotiators, tactical officers, and road closures — even when, as in this case, there are no reported injuries. The outcome depends on ongoing communication between police and the man inside, and residents in the 35th and Dunlap area should expect continued disruption until it’s resolved.
What don’t we know yet?
None of the available reports identify the man, explain what led him to pull out the firearm, or say whether anyone was threatened directly. It’s also not yet known how or when the standoff will end.
Sources
Featured photo: daves_archive1 via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)