Two Phoenix officers were shot by a suspect in a vehicle break-in, police said Tuesday. One is in critical condition and the other is in stable condition.
Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan said at a news conference hours after the shooting near downtown Phoenix that one person was in custody. He said police did not believe there was any immediate threat to anyone in the community.
The officer was in stable condition, “saved by his ballistic jacket.” CBS Phoenix affiliate KPHO-TV quoted Sullivan as saying,
“This is a terrible night for the Phoenix Police Department and for those who love and care about the officers and members of our community,” he said.
Sullivan said he had spoken to the officer, who is in stable condition: “He was in shock. He had just been shot, and his partner had just been shot as well.”
Officers received a call around 6:30 p.m. reporting someone was attempting to break into a vehicle.
“When they got there, the suspect ran and jumped over a fence,” Sullivan said. “Our officers pursued him and were exchanged gunfire.”
The names of the officers who were shot have not yet been released, and Sullivan said it was too early to determine whether they exchanged gunfire with the suspect. The man in custody was found not far from the scene, he said without elaborating.
Sullivan said the injured officer was surrounded by his family and other loved ones at the hospital.
“This year our officers have been shot 11 times while protecting and serving this community,” Sullivan said. “What happened tonight is absurd. It makes me angry. I hope you share my anger.”
KPHO noted that Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs said on x She said she was “deeply saddened” when she learned of the shooting. “My thoughts are with the police officers, their families and the entire law enforcement community at this time,” she said.