HOLBROOK, Ariz. — An Arizona Department of Public Safety trooper feared for his life when a suspect allegedly tried to ram him with an SUV during a traffic stop on Sunday, according to DPS.
The incident happened in Holbrook, located in northeast Arizona. DPS says the trooper pulled over a vehicle for a moving violation on US 191, north of Interstate 40.
The trooper determined a female driver was impaired and as the trooper was taking the driver into custody, a male passenger jumped into the driver's seat and fled.
The trooper located the suspect on a nearby county road, where the suspect allegedly intentionally rammed the trooper's vehicle.
DPS says the suspect turned around and drove again at the trooper and the trooper shot at the suspect because he feared for his life. The suspect was not hit.
The suspect fled again but was later found and taken into custody.
DPS said the male suspect is 33-year-old Craig Ben, of the Navajo Nation.
Ben has a record that includes previous charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, aggravated robbery, theft of means of transportation, soliciting prostitution, and DUI.
The female suspect, 30-year-old Patrish James, of Phoenix, was booked into the Apache County jail for aggravated DUI.
According to DPS, the FBI is conducting the investigation into the assault and shooting because it happened on the Navajo Nation.
