BREAKING NEWS

Phoenix police officer, fleeing man shot in gunfire exchange

Adrian Marsh and Terell Wilkins
The Republic | azcentral.com
Phoenix police were at the scene of a shooting involving an officer in east Phoenix on Wednesday night.

A Phoenix police officer has been released from a hospital after being wounded in an exchange of gunfire with a man who led police on a cross-city pursuit Wednesday night, police said Thursday.

The man, who was also shot and wounded, remained hospitalized Thursday morning. Police have not publicly identified the man but said that he was a known suspect with a felony warrant for his arrest.

The ordeal began at about 7:40 p.m. Wednesday when the Phoenix Police Department's Neighborhood Enforcement Team was trying to stop the suspect near 43rd Avenue and Bethany Home Road.

Phoenix police Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said the suspect was stopped at a fast food restaurant when he shot at three officers who were trying to detain him. The officers returned fire at the suspect, who rammed vehicles around him before driving off, Fortune said. 

From there, officers pursued the vehicle east through Phoenix, guided by a police helicopter, Fortune said.

The vehicle eventually was disabled when police deployed stop sticks on the road in the area of 44th Street and Thomas Road, Fortune said

At that point, more gunfire was exchanged between the suspect and police, who ended up shooting the man, Fortune said. The man also shot one of the Phoenix officers, a 17-year veteran who was wounded but likely was saved by his protective vest, Fortune said.

The officers used gas and a police dog to remove the suspect from his vehicle at the scene, Fortune added. He was taken to a hospital with serious injuries.

No one else was injured, Fortune said.

Return to azcentral.com for updates.

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