Arizona Cop Killer Who Mowed Down Officer in Stolen Police Cruiser Learns His Fate

TUCSON, AZ—  The convicted killer of Tohono O’odham Police Officer Bryan Brown, Carlos Maximilliano Galvan, 44, was sentenced to forty-four years in prison on June 4^th by a U.S. District Court Judge after pleading guilty to Second-Degree Murder. As previously reported by Law Enforcement Today, the Tohono O’odham tribe has been plagued by crimes related to cartel smugglers.

Officer Brown was responding to a 911 call at the Desert Diamond Casino in Why, Arizona, on August 27^th, 2020, according to the Department of Justice, when he was confronted by a man who approached him brandishing a broken bottle.  

The man had allegedly crashed his vehicle into a handicapped parking sign nearby and then assaulted two casino employees by ramming his vehicle into theirs.

As Officer Brown came around his vehicle in an attempt to flank the aggressively advancing suspect, Galvan was able to jump into Brown’s police cruiser and drive toward Officer Brown and a US Border Patrol Agent who had arrived at the scene to assist, the DOJ said in a statement. “The Border Patrol Agent was able to move out of the way, but Galvan struck Officer Brown with the police cruiser, killing him.”
 

Carlos Galvan,44, of Maricopa, was sentenced to 44 years in prison after pleading guilty to the Second-Degree Murder of Tohono O'odham Police Officer.
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— US Attorney Arizona (@USAO_AZ) June 11, 2025

“The defendant attacked not just Officer Brown, but our entire system of justice,” said United States 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.”   
 

Today we remember and honor:

Police Officer Bryan Robert Brown
Tohono O'odham Nation Police Department, Tribal Police

End of Watch Thursday, August 27, 2020

Police Officer Bryan Brown was killed as he and other officers responded to reports of an armed man driving erratically… pic.twitter.com/VQ2ttysQ4T

— Beyond the Call of Duty - End of Watch (@EowRide) August 27, 2023

Commenting on the sentencing, FBI Phoenix Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarod Brown said, “Today is for Officer Bryan Brown, and his loved ones and colleagues. We hope this sentence brings a degree of comfort to Officer Brown's family and colleagues.”

Officer Brown was a husband, father of seven, stepfather of four, and grandfather of eight, a U.S. Army veteran, and served with the Tohono O’odham Police Department for 19 years.