Police arrested a man accused of shooting and killing his boss over accusations of theft and a pay dispute at an Arizona apartment complex on Wednesday.
It happened near 43rd Avenue and McDowell Road in Phoenix around 2 p.m. Officers arrived and arrested 51-year-old David Gordon Sr., who told officers he had shot his boss, 47-year-old Dariusz Swiader, and put the gun on top of a truck, according to court documents.
Swiader was found in his gray truck with two gunshots to his head. He died at the scene.
Security video from a nearby business shows Swiader drive into the parking lot around 1:50 p.m. Court paperwork says he got out while holding a white, sleeved shirt wrapped around Gordon’s possessions and placed them on the hood of his truck.
The two men reportedly talked for about six minutes before Swiader got back behind the wheel. Gordon grabbed the items off the hood and then pulled out a gun, police say. Swiader tried to open his door, but Gordon shot him multiple times, according to court documents. He then walked away from Swiader’s truck.
Detectives spoke with Gordon’s son, who was in the parking lot during the shooting. He reportedly said that his father was meeting his boss in the parking lot of their apartment to pick up his final paycheck. He told police his father was a semi-truck driver and had been arguing with Swiader over the last week about the paycheck.
Court documents say Gordon’s son said his father went back into their apartment and told him he shot his boss because Swiader threatened to kill him. He also admitted the gun was Swiader’s. However, police later found out the claim was fake and the gun was Gordon’s, who admitted to police his son lied for him and said he wasn’t allowed to own one, investigators said.
In an interview with police, Gordon told officers he received a phone call earlier in the day from Swiader, saying he was near Gordon’s apartment and wanted to trade some items for a paycheck. However, he then claimed Swiader accused him of damaging the semi-truck and stealing several items, including a GPS device. Gordon said Swiader arrived at his apartment, and the two began arguing over the semi-truck and Gordon’s paycheck.
He reportedly admitted to investigators he was mad at Swiader for accusing him and claimed Swiader threatened to kill him. Gordon said he was “fearful for his safety,” so he shot Swiader twice, court records said. However, police say Gordon’s story didn’t match up to what was seen on surveillance video. Police say Swiader wasn’t aggressive when speaking with Gordon before the shooting.
Gordon was booked into the Maricopa County jail on charges of second-degree murder and possession of a prohibited weapon.
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