Scottsdale police officer shoots suspect seen fleeing after earlier gunfire

A Scottsdale police officer shot and wounded a suspect while responding to reports of gunfire early Wednesday, authorities said.

The Scottsdale Police Department is still working to put all the pieces together, with investigations active at three scenes and area roadways blocked as of 11:30 a.m.

It all started around 2 a.m. when calls came in about shots fired at the Circle K at Miller and Camelback roads. Miller is between Scottsdale and Hayden roads, just east of Old Town.

About 30 minutes later, while officers were investigating the initial scene, another call came in about gunfire at an apartment complex just east of the convenience store.

What led up to Scottsdale police officer shooting a suspect?

As police responded to the second shooting, multiple 911 calls came in about people fleeing the area, jumping over fences and running through backyards near 76th Place and Hazelwood Street.

“At that time, one of our officers contacted a suspect who was seen fleeing the scene, and that suspect reached toward his waistband. And that is when the officer-involved shooting occurred,” Sgt. Allison Sempsis said during a press conference.

After getting shot, the suspect jumped over a fence into a yard and lay down on the ground. Officers detained the suspect and started rendering medical aid. He was eventually taken to a hospital in critical condition, Sempsis said.

“While the officers were detaining him and transporting him to the hospital, a gun was found in the location of the shooting,” she said.

Multiple other people were detained as part of the investigation, but no other injuries were reported.

The Mesa Police Department is investigating the police shooting as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team.

It was the second shooting involving Scottsdale police in the past week. On April 30, an officer shot and wounded a woman who pulled out a gun in a police station lobby.

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