1 dead in officer-involved shooting in downtown Phoenix

PHOENIX — A Phoenix police officer was shot and the man who fired at him was killed Monday in a confrontation on a downtown street.

The shooting occurred near First Avenue and Jackson Street around 9 p.m., according to a post on the department’s social media sites.

Officer Ryan Shell, who was wearing a bulletproof vest, survived the round to the chest, police said. His radio also protected him.

Shell, who was driving a police vehicle, and Officer Angel Alanis had tried to stop Xavier Jaime Rovie, 28, for traffic violations while he rode a bicycle, Sgt. Maggie Cox said in an email.

Rovie ignored the directions and rode away.

Alanis exited the vehicle and pursued the suspect while Shell followed in the patrol unit to the nearby railroad tracks, where got out to help.

When they caught up to the suspect, the three struggled with a weapon the suspect pulled out, leading to gunfire that hit Shell.

The suspect was pronounced dead at a hospital.

Shell, 32, who has been with the department for four years, was taken to a hospital for evaluation as a precaution.

Alanis, 27, who has 3.5 years with the department, was not injured.

The shooting was under investigation, police said.

It was Phoenix police’s first officer-involved shooting of 2020.

According to statistics compiled by KTAR News 92.3 FM, there were only 15 officer-involved shootings in 2019, a 66% drop from the previous year.

In 2018, there were 44 shootings that involved Phoenix officers, breaking the previous record of 33 in 2013.

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