NEWS OF THE DAY
Officer shot: A Phoenix police officer and a suspect were hospitalized in critical condition Friday after exchanging gunfire during an encounter the night before that the police chief called an ambush. The shooting happened about 8 p.m. Thursday after the officer in a marked vehicle attempted a traffic stop and the driver initially refused to stop. After the driver stopped, the suspect shot the approaching officer, who returned fire and struck the suspect, said police spokeswoman Sgt. Mercedes Fortune. “This goes to show there is no such thing as a routine traffic stop,” said Ken Crane, president of Phoenix Law Enforcement Association, the police officers union.
Deadly fire: A fire Friday at an apartment building in New York City left one person dead and three others in critical condition, authorities said. The blaze broke out about 6 a.m. in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, fire officials said. Six other people, including four firefighters, suffered minor injuries. The fire started in a four-story building with a deli on the ground floor and apartments on the upper floors. The blaze apparently started in the deli, which was closed at the time. The cause of the fire is under investigation.
Deputy injured: A 12-year-old girl in Mississippi stole her mother’s car and ran over a deputy trying to stop her, authorities said. Sheriff Billy Sollie said Sgt. Kris Cokel was released from a hospital after being treated for a fractured wrist and other injuries. The girl struck the deputy Wednesday night at a trailer park near Meridian, he said. Deputies had placed spike strips in the road several times to flatten the tires as the girl drove in loops around the trailer park. A deputy fired gunshots to try to stop the vehicle after Cokel was hit. Sollie said the deputy wasn’t shooting at the girl, who was later taken to a juvenile facility. The state Bureau of Investigation is reviewing the incident.
Chicago violence: A 15-year-old boy has died and a 14-year-old boy was wounded in a shooting following a large fight at a basketball game in Chicago. A crowd gathered Thursday night in Garfield Park for a basketball tournament when a fight broke out inside. Police said officers dispersed the crowd when shots were fired. The 15-year-old was pronounced dead at a hospital. Police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said a boy “possibly 11 to 13” years old was taken into custody and a weapon was recovered. The 14-year-old was in serious condition with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The shooting is under investigation.
Whale capsizes boat: New Jersey State Police say a whale caused a 20-foot boat to capsize in waters off the coast. No injuries were reported in the capsizing, which happened Thursday about a mile off the town of Deal. It appears the whale breached beneath the boat, causing it to capsize and knocking two occupants overboard. In a post, state police jokingly stated that “charges against the whale are pending its apprehension.” Chronicle News
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