AZ News: Maricopa Man Sentenced for Murder of Tohono O’odham Police Officer

PHOENIX, Ariz. — Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, 44, of Maricopa, Arizona, was sentenced to 44 years in federal prison on June 4, 2025, for the 2020 killing of Tohono O’odham Police Officer Bryan Brown. United States District Judge James A. Soto handed down the sentence after Galvan pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder.

The fatal incident occurred on August 27, 2020, outside the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, Arizona. Officer Brown responded to a 911 call reporting that a man had crashed his vehicle into a handicapped parking sign and assaulted two casino employees by ramming their parked truck.

Upon arriving at the scene, Officer Brown exited his police vehicle and was approached by Galvan, who was brandishing a broken bottle and acting aggressively. As Brown attempted to avoid him, Galvan jumped into the officer's police cruiser and accelerated toward both Brown and a U.S. Border Patrol agent who had arrived for backup. While the Border Patrol agent managed to escape, Galvan struck Officer Brown with the cruiser, killing him.

Following the attack, Galvan fled in the stolen police vehicle and intentionally rammed two additional Border Patrol vehicles on State Route 85 that were responding to the scene. He was eventually arrested and later pled guilty.

Tohono O'odham Nation officials said Officer Brown’s life was dedicated to serving both his community and country. Officer Brown was a Washington native who served in the U.S. Army for eight years and another three years as a civilian. He had been with the Tohono O’odham Police Department for 19 years.

“The defendant attacked not just Officer Brown, but our entire system of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Disrespect for law enforcement escalates, as it did here with a deadly consequence, which is why any assault on a law enforcement officer cannot be tolerated. Our great sorrow goes out to Officer Brown’s family, loved ones, and fellow officers. He demonstrated the ultimate dedication to duty, and we honor him.”