Region Glance
Authorities: Officer killed man who pointed gun at police
AVONDALE— Authorities say an Avondale police officer fatally shot a man who had pointed a gun at police during a call Saturday night.
Officers were called to a home after receiving a call about someone having a gun there. Police managed to safely remove all but one of the people inside the home.
The man who was later shot remained in a patio area. Police say they tried to negotiate with the man, but that an Avondale officer fired his gun after the man on the patio pointed a gun at officers.
Authorities say the officer was in fear for his life.
No officers were injured.
Burnout operations in wildfire area to produce smoke plume
HAPPY JACK, Ariz. — Crews plan to ignite forest debris to help completely contain a 2-week-old wildfire in the next several days, a move that is expected to send smoke toward downwind communities in eastern Arizona and produce a plume visible across northcentral Arizona.
The fire has burned 15.5 square miles between Happy Jack and Clints Well and fire managers hope the planned burnout operations starting Sunday will consume an additional 6.2 square miles and also help protect a powerline.
The smoke plume is expected to be visible in multiple communities, including Camp Verde, Flagstaff, Payson, Pina, Sedona and Strawberry.
Officials say smoke is expected to blow toward Holbrook, Snowflake and Show Low early in the week.
Lightning started the fire May 19.
Fire official: 2 dead after small plane crash in California
SANTA ROSA VALLEY, Calif. — Fire officials say two people have died after a small plane crashed in California.
The Ventura County Fire Department says the crash happened Sunday afternoon in Santa Rosa Valley.
Fire Battalion Chief Barry Parker says firefighters received a report that a small plane had crashed, was on fire and that people were trapped inside. He says two people were pronounced dead at the scene. Parker said it appeared they were the only occupants of the small plane.
Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Allen Kenitzer said the Piper PA28 aircraft had “crashed under unknown circumstances.” The crash happened about 7 miles (11.26 kilometers) west of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library.
Phoenix police hikes deployment of body cameras to officers
PHOENIX — The Phoenix Department says more of its officers now have body cameras.
The department says its initial deployment of 56 cameras later increased to 150 cameras and last month doubled to 300 cameras, including at least some officers in all seven precincts.
Police Chief Jeri Williams says expansion of the program will continue with deployment of additional cameras, a step which she describes as “increasing our legitimacy in our community.” The department’s camera program began in 2013 and the department says it’s working to equip all of its first-responder officers in the next three to five years.