Suspect charged at officers with knives before fatal Chandler shooting, police say

PHOENIX — A suspect charged at officers with two knives before being fatally shot in the backyard of a Chandler home on Wednesday afternoon, authorities said.

Officers responded to a domestic violence call in the area of McClintock Road and Chandler Boulevard around 1:30 p.m. and were told by a homeowner that a relative who didn’t live there was behaving erratically in their backyard, according to the Chandler Police Department.

The suspect, 45-year-old Ruben Felix Alejandro Lopez, was approached in the backyard and made threatening comments toward the officers, police said.

The standoff continued for about 30 minutes until Lopez charged at officers with the knives. He was subsequently shot by three officers, according to police.

Lopez was pronounced dead at the scene.

An investigation into the incident is ongoing.

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