An alleged armed suspect is dead after running away from an Arizona Department of Public Safety cop who tried to stop him for going over 90 mph on I-10.
On the evening of July 4, DPS Capt. Keith Gephart talked to the press about what happened.
He says that at 4:25 p.m., a male suspect was driving on I-10 near 32nd Street. A cop on a motorcycle saw him going over 90 mph in a 55 mph zone. The policeman tried to stop him, but he didn’t stop and started going more than 100 miles per hour.
The tweet below from Phoenix PD explains the situation well:
The Arizona Department of Public Safety is currently investigating a trooper involved shooting near 22nd and Jefferson Streets. There are no major injuries to any troopers and suspect was transported to the hospital. Phoenix PD is on scene as support. pic.twitter.com/bhIQTk8mvz
— Phoenix Police (@PhoenixPolice) July 5, 2023
The person got off the freeway at 24th Street and drove into traffic at times going the wrong way. The trooper used the pit move to try to stop him, but it didn’t work.
Captain Gephardt says that the suspect then got back on the freeway and drove to the Washington/Jefferson Streets exit, where he got off again.
The event happened near the corner of 24th Street and Jefferson. A DPS trooper was involved, but DPS officials say they don’t know yet if the suspect died because he was shot by police or because he shot himself. FOX 10’s Stephanie Bennett reports.
He says that after a few more minutes of driving, the suspect got out of his car and started running. The trooper chased after the suspect, and soon after, the trooper saw him with a gun in his hand.
Capt. Gephardt says he doesn’t know how many police fired at the suspect. At 4:57 p.m., the suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was declared dead.
Capt. Gephardt said it’s not clear yet if the suspect died because he was shot by police or because he shot himself.
The Mercedes SUV the suspect was driving was said to have been stolen, and the paper plates on it were “fake.”
There were no other reports of civilians or law officers getting hurt.
“That could happen whenever something like this happens. People walking on the street can be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other cars get hit all the time, but that hasn’t happened yet in this case. The only person hurt was the person who was being watched.”
This is the second time in the last two weeks that a guard has shot someone in Phoenix. The first shooting happened on June 19. During a traffic stop near 21st Avenue and Thomas, a policeman was shot in the leg. The soldier was taken to the hospital to get treated, and he left the same day.
Click on the following links for more news from the California Examiner:
- What Are the 10 Most Dangerous Roads in California?
- Why Are California Traffic Fatalities Rising as More People Are Leaving?
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