Street, park renamed to honor Apache Junction police officer killed in line of duty

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

A street west of Ironwood Drive in south Apache Junction was renamed to honor a police officer killed in the line of duty, Officer Gabriel Facio. The street also has a solar-lighted sign on the southeast corner with Radiance Avenue.

The blue sign with white letters at Officer Facio Drive and Radiance was unveiled in a ceremony Jan. 22 with Apache Junction Police officers, city council, city employees and members of Facio’s family.

Facio, 46, a three-year veteran on the force, died June 8 from injuries suffered while answering a June 2 radio call about a driver waving a gun in what was described as a threatening manner. He is the first Apache Junction police officer to be killed in the line of duty.

In addition to the street renaming, the lighted sign and a memorial plaque at Radiance Avenue, Fallen AJPD Officer Facio Park will be within the Blossom Rock Community at Ironwood and Ray.

The idea for renaming the street was suggested to the city by an official with housing developer D.R. Horton.

“We wanted to do something impactful, not just something that would be a one-time thing, that would last,” Jose Castillo, D.R. Horton vice president for development, said during the ceremony. “So we came up with the idea of not only just renaming the street so it will be here forever going in every direction, so everybody who drives by, they can remember the sacrifice that he made, but also a special sign that’s lit here. So the sign is solar operated so at times it gets dark it will light up and remind us of the light he gave in his life and his loss.”

Officer Facio Drive and Radiance is where the shooting occurred, AJPD Chief Michael Pooley said.

“When we come out here and we see this sign, it’s a reminder of what happened. This is the intersection where Officer Facio lost his life back in June. This is the intersection where everything happened,” he said.

“He was a little guy, but he had a big heart. And like Jose said, he lit up everybody’s life anytime he was around you. And that sign that we are going to unveil is a reminder of that. In dark times, which we all have in our lives, we can remember that there is good — there was good in Facio — and there continues to be good in everybody that’s around here,” Pooley said.

Apache Junction Mayor Chip Wilson thanked D.R. Horton for renaming the street.

“I want to say a special thank you to D.R. Horton and the community here for recognizing this street naming. It is an honor to be able to not only for Officer Facio’s loss, but also to honor the family (and) his service to the community,” he said at the ceremony.

The Apache Junction City Council on Sept. 3 voted unanimously to approve the replat of the map of dedication for Officer Facio Drive, originally filed as Davis Drive, and the replat of Superstition Vistas, Phase 1B, to change the name of Davis Drive to Officer Facio Drive.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.