Vigil held for fallen Chandler police officer

The community planned to hold a candlelight vigil in honor of fallen Chandler police Officer Christopher Farrar at Compass Church two days after he was fatally shot and a Gilbert officer was critically injured in the line of duty.

An announcement on the Compass Christian Church Facebook page said the community prayed for the family of Farrar and honored “his sacrifice” at the church in Chandler on Saturday evening.

The announcement also said Farrar and his family have been longtime members of the church and that Farrar volunteered on the church’s security team.

Farrar died and Gilbert Officer Rico Aranda was hospitalized in critical condition after a pursuit ended in a shootout at a Gilbert car dealership late Thursday evening, according to officials.

What happened

Gilbert police said the incident started at about 10 p.m. near Eloy after a Pinal County Sheriff ’s Office deputy pursued a truck and the driver, later identified as Jonathon Atland, 25, shot at the deputy’s vehicle.

The deputy chased Atland to Chandler, where he drove into a Chandler Regional Airport gate, and then onto Loop 202, where Atland crashed near the Val Vista Drive ramp.

Gilbert police said on Friday evening that Atland drove in opposite lanes in traffic on surface streets and the 202 Santan Freeway.

The chase ended after Atland crashed the truck he was driving into an exterior fence at a Ford dealership in Gilbert, police said.

Atland then fled on foot, armed with a handgun, into the car dealership through an open maintenance door, police said. Pinal County, Arizona Department of Public Safety and Chandler and Gilbert officers had surrounded the building.

Atland shot at a Chandler officer, Gilbert officer and a dealership janitorial employee, who had minor injuries, police said. After Atland stole a vehicle from inside the dealership, he crashed the car through a closed bay door, police said.

Three Pinal County and four DPS officers shot at Atland as he attempted to run them over after he crashed through the door, police said.

Atland then fatally hit Farrar with the stolen car and drove into a parked car that hit Aranda, causing serious injuries, police said.

Aranda, who has been with Gilbert police since 2018, had a severe head injury and was in critical but stable condition as of Friday. Gilbert police said Aranda continued “to make positive steps to recovery” on Saturday afternoon. A GoFundMe account for Aranda had raised more than $77,000 as of Saturday evening.

Atland was arrested and was taken to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

The Pinal County Sheriff ’s Office will be investigating and submitting charges for the initial traffic stop and attempted murder of an officer. Chandler police will be submitting charges for entering the airport. Gilbert police are investigating the events at the dealership.

Charges will include murder, aggravated assault and auto theft, Gilbert police said.