Suspect dead following shooting incident with Phoenix police

PHOENIX — A suspect died Tuesday after a shooting incident involving Phoenix police officers in the West Valley, authorities said.

He was identified the next day as 32-year-old Robert Musser.

The shooting took place in Buckeye near Broadway and Watson roads, according to the Phoenix Police Department.

Phoenix Police are on the scene of an officer involved shooting in the west valley near Watson and Broadway. No officers injured. Suspect transported to hospital. PIO enroute. pic.twitter.com/j6q6XZEPFV

— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) April 28, 2020

The 32-year-old man is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms, Sgt. Maggie Cox said in a Facebook video.

He was under surveillance as a suspect in a home invasion, Cox said.

Police tried to stop him near 43rd and Orangewood avenues in west Phoenix, and he allegedly hijacked a rideshare vehicle at gunpoint and fled.

A police air unit tracked the suspect to the Buckeye location, where two police vehicles trapped him.

“As the officers attempted to take the suspect into custody, the suspect fired upon our officers and the officers returned fire,” Cox said.

The suspect was fatally wounded from shots fired by two veteran officers in the Special Assignment Unit, authorities said.

Buckeye Fire personnel then transported the suspect to a local hospital, where he was pronounced deceased.

No officers were injured or bystanders were injured.

One of the officers who fired was a 48-year-old man, and the other was a 53-year-old man. They’ve been on the force a combined 53 years.

It was the fifth shooting involving Phoenix police officers in 2020, and 18th involving law enforcement across the Valley, according to statistics compiled by KTAR News 92.3 FM.

On Monday, three Chandler police officers were shot in related incidents. The suspect in those shootings was arrested after he barricaded himself inside a home for hours and then allegedly set the house on fire.

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