BREAKING NEWS

Robbery leads to officer-involved shooting in Phoenix

Nathan J. Fish
The Republic | azcentral.com
A Phoenix police officer stands with the victim of a robbery that led to an officer-involved shooting May 21, 2018, near Central Avenue and Willetta Street. The man was originally detained but later determined to have been the victim.

A strong-arm robbery led to an officer-involved shooting in Phoenix, Monday, officials said. 

The shooting occurred after 5:30 p.m. near Central Avenue and Willetta Street, just south of McDowell Road, when the suspect, riding on a bicycle near the CVS drugstore near Central Avenue and McDowell Road, snatched a necklace off of a man and tried to ride away, said Sgt. Vince Lewis, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department.

The victim ran after the robber and then flagged down a Phoenix police officer who was driving on Central Avenue. The victim told the officer the cyclist had robbed him, Lewis said.

The officer spotted the suspect, got out of his car and knocked the suspect from his bike to the ground, Lewis said. A scuffle took place with the officer, in which the officer injured his hand, Lewis added.

The suspect then pulled a gun and pointed it at the officer, which prompted the officer to shoot the suspect, Lewis said.  

After he was shot, the suspect dropped the gun and ran south, where other nearby officers took the suspect into custody without incident and took him to the hospital, Lewis said.

Once the second officer arrived on scene, the victim was temporarily detained in handcuffs until he was identified as the victim and not a suspect in the shooting, Lewis said.  

The scene was saturated with police vehicles and several ambulances were at the location. Central Avenue was closed to traffic between McDowell Road and Roosevelt Street, Lewis said.

"When you're on duty, riding around in a police car you are constantly going through scenarios in your mind, the what if, and you're playing all possible options," Lewis said. "Your world is pretty well contained to the area immediately around you."

"The officer had his wits about him, he was cognizant enough to react the way he did, as quickly as he did."

The suspect's injuries were not considered life-threatening.

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