Phoenix Police Department has taken into custody a suspect accused of shooting and wounding a Scottsdale detective Friday night during a special assignment.
According to Phoenix Police, 37-year-old Kenneth Hearne was apprehended Saturday night, after fleeing from a two-story balcony and shooting at officers.
The Phoenix Police Department spokesperson Philip Krynsky says that after Hearne was spotted by law enforcement, he produced a gun and officers opened fire. Hearne was shot during the confrontation and is in “extremely critical” condition according to Krynsky.
A prior incident took place that prompted police to go after Hearne as a suspect. In total, it had taken police about 20 hours to locate him.
It all began when police executed a search warrant at an apartment complex in downtown Phoenix just after 7 pm on Friday. According to Scottsdale Police Chief Jeff Walther, Hearne was being sought for a variety of crimes.
When they finally arrived with the warrant, the officers encountered a woman and child at the apartment who told them there was no one else there. Walther said detectives entered the apartment and spotted the suspect, who entered a different room and began firing at them through the wall.
During the gunfire exchange, an unidentified Scottsdale detective was shot once in the abdomen. Scottsdale Police confirmed the sergeant’s condition after he was rushed to the hospital, adding that he is recovering well from his injuries.
An investigation into Friday’s shooting is led by Phoenix Police.