Phoenix police vehicle pursuit ends with gunfire exchange, 1 left injured
Oct 22, 2020, 8:57 AM | Updated: 10:07 am
(Facebook Photo/City of Phoenix Police Department)
PHOENIX — A man has been left with life-threatening injuries after a Phoenix police officer shot him following a vehicle pursuit early Thursday morning.
At approximately 1 a.m. at an apartment complex in the area of Glenrosa and 27th avenues, the Phoenix Police Department received reports of a man and a woman arguing and shots from the direction of their vehicle.
A vehicle description was given to a nearby officer, who then attempted to stop the driver.
Authorities said after failing to stop, a pursuit was declared by officers and the vehicle crashed into another car on 35th Avenue and McDowell Road. However, the vehicle that the man crashed into has not been located.
The driver continued to travel south on 35th Avenue and the pursuit ended once control of the vehicle was lost near 35th Avenue and Washington Street, officials said.
The female passenger then ran out of the car yelling for help, while the male driver got out of the vehicle with a rifle and fired at officers, authorities said.
One Phoenix police officer fired and struck the suspect, officials said.
When approaching the man to take him into custody, two less-lethal “stun bag” rounds were fired at the suspect to keep him from reaching for his rifle after being non-compliant, police said.
Once the suspect became compliant, officers took him into custody and applied a tourniquet to his leg, authorities said.
The man was then transported to a local hospital by the Phoenix Fire Department where he remains in serious condition, police said.
Authorities said no officers were hurt in the incident and that the female passenger is cooperating with police.
The investigation is ongoing.
It was the 19th shooting of the year involving Phoenix police, according to KTAR News 92.3 FM research.