Officer and member of MCSO posse shot, injured
2 held, 4 sought after Phoenix robbery, chase
A bizarre robbery. Apolice chase and crash on midtown city streets.
An officer shot with his own gun, and a sheriff’s posse member critically wounded while trying to help.
The grim scenario played out Tuesday afternoon in east-central Phoenix, climaxed by gunfire outside a Walgreens store at 56th Street and Thomas Road. The violence halted traffic and forced nearby residents and businesses into lockdown for three hours while patrol units and a helicopter swarmed the area. Two men were taken into custody, and four other suspects were still being hunted by authorities on Tuesday night.
Both shooting victims were taken to Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, where they were listed in critical condition, according to Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a Phoenix police spokesman.
There were more than 50 officer-involved shootings across the Valley in 2013, making it one of the most violent years for officers and suspects in metro Phoenix.
Thompson said the New Year’s Eve episode began at about 2 p.m. with an armed robbery by up to six people near two restaurants on North 44th Street near East Oak Street. Thompson said officers chased a burgundy Chevrolet Impala containing two suspects until it ran a red light and collided
with a white pickup truck outside the Walgreens.
Don King, who was at a nearby restaurant, saw the crash through a window and ran outside. King said an officer tried to make an arrest with help from the truck’s driver, but the suspect was large and powerful.
“I saw the police officer run and grab the guy in the car,” King said. “Neither one of them could control him.”
King said he could not see the gun, but a shot rang out and the officer fell. Then another shot sounded, and the civilian went down. King said the assailant ran into a neighborhood on 56th Street as diners in the restaurant began dialing 911 on their cellphones.
“I am still shaking a little bit,” he added.
Neither shooting victim was identified.
Thompson said the Phoenix officer has been on the force for seven years. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the 63-year-old civilian, a Vietnam veteran, is a “longtime member” of the agency’s volunteer posse. He said the civilian was not on duty, but “still took action” when an officer needed help.
“This is a sad day,” the sheriff added.
Police said there was a struggle for the officer’s weapon before the shooting. Afterward, they cordoned the crime scene, asked motorists to avoid a square-mile area and urged the neighboring public to take shelter and report suspicious activity. Sgt. Steve Martos, a Phoenix police spokesman, sent out a tweet advising, “If you see something, say something.”
Other law-enforcement agencies joined the investigation. Within minutes, two men were apprehended in a nearby neighborhood, according to Scottsdale police spokesman Dave Pubins.
“Both suspects were taken into custody from separate rear yards in the area,” Pubins said. “One of the suspects forced entry into the home where he was eventually found in the backyard. The home- owner was not harmed.”
The suspects’ identities were not released, and police would not say whether they had been arrested or formally charged. Thompson said investigators were continuing the search for four more suspects — two men and two women.
Brandon Alvarez, who lives near the shooting scene, said he mistook the gunshots for firecrackers. “I didn’t think so much of it, but with all these police cars I figured something was up,” he added.
Alvarez’s mother, Marta Ortiz, said she came outdoors to ask police what was going on. “They told me to go back inside,” she said.
City officials expressed sorrow and offered prayers for the victims. At the Walgreens, Assistant Phoenix Police Chief Chuck Miiller said, “Our thoughts and prayers go out to the (officer’s) family, and to the citizen.”