PHOENIX, AZ – A routine traffic stop incident led to a fatal confrontation in Phoenix in the early hours of Tuesday morning. The incident, which took place around 3 a.m. near 10th Street and Southern Avenue, left one man dead and a police officer hospitalized in the ICU awaiting surgery.
Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan stated in a press briefing that the incident followed a traffic stop on a bicyclist. A struggle ensued shortly after the stop.
During this time, the suspect pulled out a gun and escalated the altercation even further. He proceeded to shoot the officer in the leg. In response, the officer’s partner opened fire on the suspect, who later died in the hospital.
The identities of the deceased suspect and the injured officer have not been revealed, although Sullivan stated that the injured officer has two years of service with the Phoenix Police.
Notably, this marks the third shooting of an officer that took place in Phoenix this year, signifying the growing violence law enforcement face on a regular basis in the region.
As a result of the ongoing investigation into the incident, Southern Avenue was closed between 13th and Seventh streets as of Tuesday morning.