Armed suspect dies after being shot by Tempe Police officer

PHOENIX — A Tempe Police officer fatally shot an armed suspect Tuesday afternoon, the fourth shooting involving Valley law enforcement this year.

Officers responded at around 2:30 p.m. to a call about a suspicious vehicle, Tempe Police Sgt. Ron Elcock told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

Officers were told that the men in the car were possibly involved in a burglary, Elcock said.

Police said the passenger got out of the vehicle with a gun and fled by foot when the officers arrived.

“At some point in time during that chase, the suspect turned towards the officer, the officer perceived a threat and fired his duty weapon at the suspect, hitting him,” Elcock said.

The suspect, who hasn’t been identified, was taken to a hospital, where he died.

No officers were injured during the incident in the area of 48th Street and Baseline Road, and no suspects were outstanding.

We are working an officer involved shooting in the area of 48th Street and Baseline. The officer was not injured. We will be working in the area so PLEASE stay off of the area if possible. We will provide more details as they become available. pic.twitter.com/ReOIIevj00

— Tempe Police (@TempePolice) January 15, 2019

Motorists were asked to avoid the area while investigators were at the scene.

A Tempe Police vehicle that was responding to the incident was involved in a crash at University and Rural roads that hospitalized four people.

No other information about the shooting was made available.

Following a record year for officer-involved shootings in the Valley, it was the first in Tempe this year.

A day earlier, a Peoria officer shot an armed-robbery suspect, who was expected to survive.

There were two shootings in the Valley last week.

On Monday, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s sergeant shot and wounded a man armed with a knife in Fountain Hills.

Then on Friday, a Phoenix officer shot and killed a man wanted for robbing a fast food restaurant who they said pulled a gun on officers during a traffic stop.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Nailea Leon contributed to this report. 

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