Neighbors Refuse Cocaine, Man Allegedly Opens Fire

Neighbors Refuse Cocaine, Man Allegedly Opens Fire

SCOTTSDALE, AZ | October 23, 2026

A Scottsdale man is facing multiple felony charges after police say an unwanted offer of cocaine escalated into a violent confrontation, a hammer attack, and ten gunshots at an apartment complex.

Samuel Ellery Sedgwick, 49, was arrested on October 15 following a disturbance near Miller and Osborn roads.

According to court documents, Sedgwick allegedly entered a neighbor’s apartment without permission and offered cocaine to the people inside.

The residents declined.

Investigators say Sedgwick did not take the rejection well. He reportedly described their refusal as “offensive to his culture,” removed his shirt, and began physically attacking one of the men.

What should have ended with a simple refusal had now become a violent confrontation.

A Hammer, a Handgun, and a Chipped Tooth

Police say another resident intervened after fearing the man being beaten could be killed. The resident reportedly struck Sedgwick twice in the face with a claw hammer.

Sedgwick allegedly responded by pulling a 9mm handgun from his backpack, threatening the occupants, striking the injured man with the weapon, and spraying pepper spray inside the apartment.

He then left.

But according to investigators, the confrontation was far from over.

After returning to his nearby apartment, Sedgwick reportedly looked in a mirror and discovered that the hammer strikes had chipped one of his teeth.

Police say he became enraged and decided to return.

This time, he allegedly traveled by bicycle, carrying a handgun.

Ten Gunshots and a Swift Arrest

Investigators say Sedgwick fired ten rounds toward the apartment complex, apparently intending to hit the unit where the confrontation began.

Instead, gunfire struck a covered parking structure and a neighboring apartment. One bullet entered through a window and lodged in the ceiling. Fortunately, that resident was not home.

Scottsdale officers arrived as gunfire was reported and spotted Sedgwick riding away on his bicycle.

Police apprehended him within minutes at a nearby residential community.

Officers later recovered a loaded handgun near a dumpster. A search of Sedgwick’s residence also uncovered ammunition, pepper spray, and a bag containing an unidentified white powder.

One victim was hospitalized with a head injury and possible broken ribs.

Multiple Felony Charges

Sedgwick faces several felony charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and firing a gun at a building.

A Maricopa County judge set his bond at $100,000.

The allegations present an extraordinary sequence of events: a refused drug offer, an alleged assault, a chipped tooth, and gunfire that endangered people who had no involvement in the original dispute.

What investigators describe as an offense taken over a declined invitation has now become a serious criminal case.

The charges remain allegations, and Sedgwick is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Sources and attribution

FOX 10 Phoenix — Elias Weiss, October 16, 2026

True Crime News — October 20, 2026

Reporting draws on Scottsdale Police Department statements and Maricopa County court records described in the linked coverage.