Suspect in custody after shooting involving Phoenix police

PHOENIX — A suspect who evaded police after a shooting involving Phoenix officers Thursday morning was taken into custody, authorities said.

Officers found a man sleeping in a pickup truck that was stopped in the roadway near 91st Avenue and Lower Buckeye Avenue around 3:15 a.m., the Phoenix Police Department said.

The officers were unable to wake the man, later identified as 34-year-old Uriel Lozada, and called for backup. While waiting for backup, they learned the truck was reported stolen.

A second unit arrived and blocked the truck. Lozada then woke up and tried to drive but couldn’t because he was blocked, police said.

He then fled on foot while allegedly pointing a gun at officers, police said. Officers tried stopping Lozada with less-lethal weapons, but they lost sight of him after he reached a nearby neighborhood.

More officers joined the search, and Lozada was located on 91st Avenue just south of Lower Buckeye Road.

He allegedly refused orders to get on the ground and reached for his gun, prompting police to shoot at him.

He then ran off again, and another search ensued. After a helicopter helped find him in the backyard of a residence, he was taken into custody through the use of a “less-lethal tool,” police said.

Lozada was cleared medically by the fire department and booked into jail on multiple felonies, including aggravated assault on a police officer and vehicle theft.

The investigation is ongoing.

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