When officers arrived, they saw a white truck matching the
description given by the caller. Officers attempted to contact Almeida outside
the residence. Instead of complying, Almeida became aggressive, removed his
shirt, shouted profanities, and advanced toward officers while ignoring
repeated commands.
Due to reports that Almeida was armed, officers deployed
less-lethal options, including a Taser and beanbag rounds, until they were able
to safely take him into custody. A loaded handgun was recovered from Almeida’s
back pocket at the time of his arrest.
Further investigation revealed that Almeida, a convicted
felon and prohibited possessor, had also fired multiple rounds from both a
handgun and a rifle during the incident. Several family members and witnesses
confirmed hearing and seeing gunfire, both in the front yard of the residence
and as Almeida drove away in his truck. Detectives recovered spent shell
casings, ammunition, and multiple firearms from the home and vehicle.
Almeida later admitted to detectives that he fired rounds from a rifle into the ground near the residence and discharged additional rounds from his vehicle while driving away. He also admitted to being in possession of both the rifle and handgun, despite his felony convictions prohibiting him from having firearms.
Almeida was arrested and booked on multiple
felony charges, including:
- Misconduct
Involving Weapons – Prohibited Possessor (2 counts)
- Unlawful
Discharge of a Firearm within City Limits (2 counts)
- Disorderly
Conduct – Recklessly Discharging a Firearm
This was a dangerous situation for everyone involved—family
members, neighbors, and responding officers. Thanks to quick teamwork, officers
were able to take Almeida into custody without deadly force and remove multiple
firearms from his possession.
Mesa Police remain committed to addressing gun violence,
especially when prohibited possessors put families and the community at risk.
