69-year-old shot after aiming gun at police helicopter
Phoenix police said the man was struck by rifle fire in a parking lot in west Phoenix after an initial aggravated assault call.
By Olivia Reed ·
A 69-year-old man was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries after a Phoenix officer fired his duty rifle at him on Monday night.
Police said the sequence of events began at 10 p.m. on Nov. 2 with a call to an aggravated assault at a convenience store near 75th Avenue and Van Buren Street. Officers responded to find the suspect had left the scene in a vehicle.
Police located the suspect’s car in an empty lot on the northwest corner of 79th Avenue and Van Buren Street. According to the department, an air unit flew overhead and spotted the man standing next to his vehicle. The report stated the suspect was pointing a handgun at the helicopter.
In response to the perceived threat, a Phoenix police officer fired his duty rifle. The shot struck the suspect. No officers were hurt in the exchange.
Sgt. John Buchanan told reporters that the public should avoid the area while investigators work the scene. The intersection is closed between 75th Avenue and 83rd Avenue on Van Buren Street for the remainder of the morning and possibly into the early afternoon.
The suspect has not been identified. The Phoenix Police Department is investigating the original aggravated assault, while the Arizona Department of Public Safety is looking into the officer-involved shooting.
Source: KUTP
