One woman was fatally shot and nine police officers were injured early Friday morning following a shooting in Phoenix, Arizona, in which the suspect also died after ambushing officers.
As reported by the Phoenix police, the incident began around 2: 15 am, when the officers received a report of a woman shot in a house. Upon arrival at the scene, the suspect invited officers to enter the residence before setting up an ambush where one of the officers was shot.
“The suspect ambushed him with a gun and shot him several times,” said Sergeant Andy Williams in statements to the press at the scene.
Subsequently, another man who was not the suspect placed a baby in a baby carrier outside the house and was saved amid the tense situation. It is presumed that this action was done to attract other agents.
“An adult man came to the door with a baby,” said Sergeant Williams. He “he put a baby on the ground in front of the front door and then walked towards the officers where they began to take him into custody. Other policemen also moved to secure that baby. At that moment, the suspect opened fire on the officers again”.
The police noted that the suspect shot four more officers, while another four were hit by bullets.
“All of those officers were able to return to safety, while two other officers returned fire on the suspect,” Williams said. “They attempted to negotiate with the adult male suspect and eventually entered the home and determined that he had died inside.”
Despite the injuries, the officers did not sustain life-threatening injuries; some even remained in place despite being injured in the operation.
However, the injured woman was rushed to a hospital in the area, but she was pronounced dead. The police speculate that the baby involved in the incident is his daughter.
Finally, the police entered the house and discovered that the suspect had died from an apparent gunshot wound and the hypothesis of that the deceased woman and the suspect were in a romantic relationship.
Williams noted that the shooting was an example of the dangers officers face on a daily basis to keep the community safe, as well as the department itself.
“If I seem upset, I am. This makes no sense. It doesn’t have to happen, and it keeps happening over and over again,” added Sgt. “But I am grateful that our officers are recovering, and one of them is seriously injured, but he is on the road to recovery.”