Phoenix police exchange gunfire with woman near Metrocenter

PHOENIX – Phoenix police officers exchanged gunfire with a woman and wounded her at a motel near Metrocenter Mall on Wednesday morning, authorities said.

At around 6:30 a.m., officers responded to a 911 call about a woman firing a weapon at a motel near Peoria Avenue and Interstate 17, police said.

They made contact with the 24-year-old woman and learned she had a misdemeanor drug warrant, police said.

Police said she pulled away and brandished a handgun when they tried to detain her. She fired a shot during the struggle and officers returned fire, according to police.

“When she fired the weapon, it narrowly missed the officers who were involved,” Sgt. Tommy Thompson said during a press briefing.

The woman was hospitalized and is expected to survive. No other injuries were reported.

On July 13, police identified the suspect as Jovana Kelsey McCreary, who has been released from the hospital and booked into Maricopa County Jail on three counts of aggravated assault and one count each of resisting arrests, prohibited weapon possession and dangerous drug possession.

Thompson said the officers involved were equipped with body cameras, and footage will be released at a later time.

He said the investigation into the incident is ongoing.

It was the 27th Valley law enforcement shooting in this year, the 11th involving Phoenix police, according to KTAR.com tracking.

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