Phoenix Police Hurt In Gun Battle; Suspect And Victim Dead
A shooting suspect was found dead in a Phoenix residence on Friday and the woman that he shot died later of her wounds, while five police officers were sent to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries from the gun battle, the city's police department said on Friday.
An infant was rescued from the home and another adult male was detained. The incident may have stemmed from a domestic dispute, police said. It escalated into a gun battle in which police returned fire and the suspect barricaded himself in the property, prompting the city's SWAT unit to get involved, the Phoenix Police Department said.
The suspect, identified as Morris Jones, 36, was later found dead of a gunshot wound after police secured the property. It was not immediately clear whether the wound was self-inflicted or from police gunfire.
Police have not identified the woman who died.
A total of nine officers were struck by bullet shrapnel and all were injured, according to authorities. Five were admitted to the hospital. Four of them were recovering and one was "on the road to recovery," Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said.
"This is senseless, it doesn't need to happen, and it continues to happen over and over again," Williams said in a press conference outside a hospital in Phoenix, Arizona.
Police arrived at the scene after an emergency call at about 2:15 a.m. local time about a woman being shot. The suspect invited police inside the residence, but as one officer approached, the suspect shot multiple times, Sergeant Andy Williams said.
A man later emerged from the house with a baby girl that he placed on the ground before surrendering to officers, police said. The man is believed to be a family member of the two dead individuals and is not a suspect at this time.
As other officers attempted to bring the child to safety, four more officers were struck by gunfire from inside the home, after which the suspect barricaded himself inside, according to a police statement.
Police said the baby was not injured.
The woman died of her injuries in the afternoon. She and the suspect were believed to have been in a relationship in the past, and the baby is believed to be theirs, police said. It was unclear how the suspect died.
Arizona Governor Doug Ducey said in a tweet that his office is working closely with local authorities and asked for prayers for the wounded officers.
© Copyright Thomson Reuters 2024. All rights reserved.