The Phoenix Police Department says that an officer was critically wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a suspect at a traffic stop on Thursday.
According to ABC-15, a Phoenix police spokesperson said both the officer — who has not yet been named — and suspect were in critical condition on Thursday night.
Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said she believes the shooting was an ambush.
Williams said the shooting was another example of an increased level of violence that Phoenix officers have encountered, according to WZZM-TV.
The number of assaults on Phoenix police officers increased 45 percent in the first five months of this year compared to the same period in 2017, according to data the department provided to The Arizona Republic.
The officer involved has only been with the department for one year.