Suspect fatally shot after firing at Glendale officer, police say

PHOENIX — A suspect is dead after an officer-involved shooting Thursday evening in the area of 53rd and Maryland avenues in Glendale.

Police identified him as 21-year-old Anthony Jay Rios, Jr. in a Friday news release.

Rick Hernandez, a sergeant with the Surprise Police Department, which is also investigating the incident, said it started after 5 p.m. with a two-vehicle crash.

After Rios’ pickup truck crashed into an SUV with a father and two young children, Rios fled from his car and ran away on foot, police said.

“A Glendale police officer in the area began searching for the individual who ran from the scene of the accident,” Hernandez told KTAR News 92.3 FM. 

“While searching a nearby alleyway, the officer heard a commotion and gave verbal instructions for the individual to surrender.”

Instead of complying, Rios fired several rounds from his hiding spot in a bush, Hernandez said. The officer, who has spent eight years on the police force, returned fire.

A bullet struck Rios and he died on the scene, according to Hernandez.

The officer was not injured in the shooting and no one else was injured in the area. The family inside the SUV during the initial incident weren’t seriously injured.

The officer has been placed on leave due to standard procedure when an officer is involved in this type of shooting, Hernandez said.

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