Detective Ryan So, 38, a nine-year veteran of the Scottsdale Police Department and a U.S. Navy veteran, died on June 13, 2024, after being struck by a single gunshot while detectives were unloading equipment following the execution of a search warrant and arrest operation near 76th Street and Greenway Road. The rifle fell from a bag as he was moving it, discharged on impact, and So was struck. Fellow detectives rendered aid and he was taken to a local hospital, where he later died.

A multiagency investigation by the Mesa Police Department’s East Valley Critical Response Team, along with reviews by Scottsdale Police, the Industrial Commission of Arizona, and the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health, concluded the shooting was an accident with no evidence of criminal intent or misconduct. The rifle belonged to another officer, Detective Juan Espinoza Roa, and was found with a live round chambered, bolt closed, and safety off; Roa received 160 hours unpaid suspension for a policy violation.

So was a husband and father of three; his death is recorded as only the second line-of-duty death in Scottsdale Police Department history. If anyone was present that evening or has relevant information about the incident, please share what is known.