MESA, Ariz. — Mesa police said they are investigating an officer-involved shooting involving the Arizona Department of Public Safety.
Investigators learned that earlier in the evening, Gilbert police responded to a report that a man was threatening suicide and left in a car.
Chandler police tried to stop the car and alerted other Valley agencies of a failure-to-yield situation around 9 p.m.
DPS troopers found the vehicle traveling northbound on Ellsworth Road from State Road 24. Troopers requested support from Mesa's air unit.
The vehicle traveled south on Ellsworth Road past Pecos Road, where it lost control, went over the curb, smashed into a traffic light and flipped several times before coming to a rest.
Witnesses reportedly said the vehicle was speeding without its headlights on and was weaving through traffic when it crashed.
Police said the suspect then climbed out of the wrecked car's driver side window, yelling at DPS troopers that he was going to kill them.
He was seen reaching for something around his abdominal area and pulled out what DPS troopers said was a dark and shiny object about 8 inches long.
Two DPS troopers thought it was a weapon and fired, hitting the suspect at least twice.
The man was taken to the hospital in serious condition. He remains in critical but stable condition, police said.
A black and silver fishing pole 8 to 12 inches long was found on the ground in the area where the suspect was shot.
No officers or troopers were injured in the incident.
The Mesa Police Department was assisting at the scene, but the agency was not involved in the shooting.
The investigation is ongoing.
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