Five officers were shot and four more wounded by ricochet or shrapnel during an armed standoff in Phoenix early this morning. According to the Phoenix Police Department, all officers sustained non-life-threatening injuries.
“The Phoenix Police Department received a 911 call stating that an adult female had been shot. When the first officer arrived on scene he approached the home to help. He was actually invited inside by the suspect, an adult male,” Sgt. Andy Williams, of the Phoenix Police Department Public Affairs Bureau, explained in an afternoon press conference. “As he approached the doorway the suspect ambushed him with a gun and shot him several times. That officer was able to get back and get away to safety. He was injured the most significantly, non-life threatening at this time. Expected to survive.”
Other officers arrived on scene, surrounded the home, and began calling out the occupants.
“An adult male came to the door holding a baby, an infant. He placed that infant on the ground in front of the front door and then walked out toward the officers where they began detaining him,” said Williams.
The male who exited with the baby was not the suspect and police said at this time he did not appear to be part of the ambush. Police believe the infant is the child of the male suspect and the female who had been shot initially. Williams said the woman is the former girlfriend of the shooting suspect.
“Other officers also moved in to secure that infant. At that time, the suspect opened fire on the officers again striking four officers and also striking four other officers, so eight in total,” he added
.
Williams clarified during this second round of shooting four officers were hit directly by gunfire and four others were wounded indirectly by ricochets or bullet shrapnel.
“Those officers were all able to get back to safety while two other officers returned fire at the suspect,” the spokesperson said.
The five officers who were struck directly by gunfire were transported to the hospital, however some of the officers struck by ricochets or shrapnel remained on scene until the conclusion of the barricade or until they were relieved
“They made a self-assessment and determined that they had been injured but it wasn’t so bad that they needed to stop working, so they remained there doing their job,” said Williams.
The department’s special assignments unit, also known as the SWAT team, responded and attempted to work toward a tactical resolution of the incident. They attempted negotiations with the adult male suspect and ultimately made entry into the home and determined that he was deceased inside, according to Williams. Police were unable Friday afternoon to release whether the suspect died from self-inflicted wounds. The team also located the adult female victim of the initial shooting call who was critically injured.
ABC15 reported aerials over the home showed multiple tactical vehicles surrounding the home, damaged second-story windows, and damage to the back of the home as well. Friday afternoon a large number of detectives remained at the shooting location processing the scene and some of the armored vehicles remained inside the crime scene as evidence, according to police
Williams said the incident “highlights the uncertainties and dangers of this job.”
