Nine police officers were hurt and a woman was critically injured Friday morning during a shooting and standoff in Phoenix that left the suspect dead, police said.
Officers were sent to a home at about 2:15 am after receiving a 911 call reporting a shooting, according to a Phoenix Police Department news release.
As an officer approached the home to help, someone from inside the home opened fire, striking the officer, police said. “That officer was able to get away to safety,” according to the release.
“He was actually invited inside by the suspect,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Andy Williams said during a news conference Friday. “As he approached the doorway, the suspect ambushed him with a gun and shot him several times.”
Then, a different man walked out of the home with a baby girl, police said. He placed the baby on the ground, walked toward officers, and was detained.
But when officers approached the baby to move it away from the home, the suspect opened fire again, leaving four more officers injured, according to police.
Four other officers were wounded by bullet shrapnel. “They stayed on the scene injured until the incident was resolved,” said the statement from police.
The suspect barricaded himself inside the home. NBC affiliate KPNX of Phoenix reported the sound of a fresh barrage of gunshots being fired around every five minutes during the standoff.
The suspect was eventually found dead inside, police said. It was not clear Friday afternoon how the suspect died.
The injured woman, the subject of the original 911 call, was also found in the home, according to police. She had been shot and was critically wounded.
Police believe that she and the suspect are ex-girlfriend and boyfriend, and had the baby together, Williams said. He added that the “incredibly complex investigation” was ongoing.
The infant appeared to be OK, authorities said.
The officers all suffered non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
The department alerted the public to the “critical incident” with a tweet published at around 3 am local time (5 am ET). “Scene is active. Stay away for your safety,” it warned.
Comments are closed.