Suspect under police surveillance takes own life on Mesa freeway ramp

PHOENIX – An armed robbery suspect under police surveillance died by suicide after a carjacking attempt on an East Valley freeway ramp Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.

Dakota Black, 26, of Mesa shot himself after his car was stopped by undercover detectives on the Broadway Road onramp to southbound Loop 202 Red Mountain Freeway around 3:30 p.m., the Mesa Police Department said Wednesday.

Detectives who’d been following Black in his Chevrolet pickup truck saw him get out and attempt to carjack a Buick on the ramp before they and members of the U.S. Marshal’s Office Fugitive Task Force used their vehicles to block the truck, police said.

Police said that when they went to make contact with the suspect, they found him unresponsive inside the truck with a handgun in his lap.

Fire department responders pronounced him dead at the scene.

The ramp was closed for several hours Tuesday during the investigation, which is ongoing.

Police said that no law enforcement officers fired their weapons during the incident.

They did not provide any details about the armed robbery that led to their surveillance of Black.

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