Glendale’s Community Newspaper
www.glendalestar.com
Vol. 77 No. 51
INSIDE
This Week
Glendale PD releases video of shooting BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Glendale Star Executive Editor
FEATURES .... 12 Holiday event series wraps up this weekend
December 16, 2021
The Glendale Police Department has released video footage of the Nov. 3 officer-involved shooting of 26-year-old Jose Enrique Cortez. Police were called after witnesses saw Cortez acting erratically, hitting cars with a hatchet, which was found later. The video shows an agitated Cortez purposely hitting an officer’s car with his vehicle and then speeding away. Eventually, Cortez leaves his vehicle at Octotillo Road, just east of 62nd Avenue. He was found in front of a home on 62nd Avenue. As an officer confronted Cortez, he yelled “shoot me.” Cortez aggressive-
ly moved toward an officer as the second officer deployed a Taser, which was not effective. Cortez charged at the first officer while blading his left side forward and acted as if he had a gun in his rear waistband. The second officer, perceiving a threat, fired his duty weapon, striking Cortez. Despite lifesaving efforts, Cortez later died at a hospital. No weapon was found. Cortez had an outstanding felony warrant for a parole violation stemming from a kidnapping charge. The officer who discharged his weapon was placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure in this situation. The investigation is ongoing.
Jose Enrique Cortez had an outstanding felony warrant for a parole violation stemming from a kidnapping charge. (Photo courtesy of the Glendale Police Department)
Arizona Coyotes apologize for unpaid bills BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI
Glendale Star Executive Editor
FEATURES .... 14 Abrazo Arrowhead hosting ‘drive-thru Santa’ event
OPINION....................... 6 BUSINESS.................. 10 FEATURES.................. 12 RELIGION ................... 18 CLASSIFIEDS ............. 21
The Arizona Coyotes have launched an investigation to determine how tax bills went unpaid until last week. According to a letter sent to Xavier Gutierrez, president and chief executive officer of the Arizona Coyotes, from Glendale City Manager Kevin Phelps, the team owned in excess of $1.3 million, of which approximately $250,000 was owed to the city of Glendale. Additionally, Phelps wrote, the city received a notice from ASM Global that
there was an unpaid balance for the 202021 season. Jonathan Hill, Glendale’s tax and license manager, also sent a letter to the team saying its Glendale business license was canceled. “We have already launched an investigation to determine how this could have happened, and initial indications are that it appears to be the result of an unfortunate human error,” the Coyotes said in a statement. “Regardless, we deeply regret the inconvenience this has caused. We will make sure that by tomorrow morning (Dec. 9),
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the Arizona Coyotes are current on all of our bills and owe no state or local taxes whatsoever. And we will take immediate steps to ensure that nothing like this can ever possibly happen again.” Phelps told the Glendale Star that this was “certainly nothing that we took joy in for sure in the last 24 hours.” “At the end of the day, it’s my responsibility to protect the taxpayers’ interest,” he said. “It’s owed to the taxpayers who own the arena. We were really boxed into a corner and really had to take action.” Phelps said all tax-related payments are SEE COYOTES PAGE 3