Suspect dead, K9 hospitalized after police shootout in Phoenix

PHOENIX – A Glendale Police Department officer and an escapee exchanged gunfire Tuesday night in Phoenix, leaving the suspect dead and a K9 unit hospitalized.

Around 5:30 p.m., the U.S. Marshals Service received information about the location of a man who’d escaped from the Arizona Department of Corrections in February, Glendale Sgt. John Roth told KTAR News 92.3 FM.

When officers from the marshals’ Violent Offenders Task Force attempted to make contact at a residence near 27th Street and Baseline Road, the 23-year-old man fled out of the back, Roth said.

He jumped over a wall onto the south side of Baseline Road, where he was confronted by a Glendale officer and K9 unit who were providing support to the marshals.

“When the subject came over the wall, shots were fired at the Glendale officer by the suspect,” Roth said. “The Glendale officer, in fear for his safety, fired rounds back from his duty weapon at the suspect, striking the suspect.”

The suspect was hit multiple times and died at the scene. He was later identified as Skyler Martin, who’d walked away from a work crew outside the Maricopa County animal shelter in Phoenix on Feb. 8. He’d been sentenced to 7 1/2 years for aggravated DUI in April 2017.

The K9, who has been with the department for four years, was struck multiple times during the exchange, Roth said. The 6-year-old Belgian Malinois was taken to an animal hospital for treatment and was in stable condition.

No human officers were injured during the incident, and there were no outstanding suspects related to the case, Roth said.

According to statistics compiled by ABC15, it was the 57th officer-involved shooting in the Valley this year.

KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Ashley Flood contributed to this report.

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