MESA, Ariz. — A Mesa police officer was injured during a fight with a suspect while responding to a crash in which a vehicle hit a school, according to the Mesa Police Department.
Police said the incident happened Sunday after a vehicle crashed into Holmes Elementary School near Mesa Drive and Southern Avenue.
According to police, two officers were called out to the crash. When they arrived to the scene, one of the officers made contact with the vehicle’s driver while the second made contact with the vehicle's passenger.
Police said after that, the passenger, identified as Leon Brisco, got into a fight with the officer.
“It’s unclear what happened with the passenger and the second officer, but they became involved in a physical fight, where the suspect was on top of the officer,” police said.
Brisco was pulled off the second officer by the first officer and held down until backup arrived to take him into custody, police said
The second officer passed out during the fight and was taken to the hospital for treatment.
According to police, after Brisco was handcuffed he continued to “be verbally confrontational, uncompliant and refused to cooperative with officers on scene."
Police said when Brisco was searched officers found a syringe with brown liquid inside of it. The substance was later confirmed to be heroin. He also had a container with a crystal substance which was tested and confirmed to be methamphetamine.
Brisco is facing charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest, possession of dangerous drugs and possession of narcotics.
The driver of the car, identified as Elena Giron, is also facing charges of aggravated DUI and suspended or revoked license following the incident.
On March 11, three officers with the department were injured in a fight with a suspect at a Dutch Bros coffee shop. One of the officers had his hand broken in the altercation, police said.
This is a developing story; additional information will be released as it becomes available.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.
Silent Witness:
Arizona's Silent Witness program allows people to send in tips and share information about crimes happening within their local communities.
The program shares unsolved felony case information in multiple ways, including TV, radio and social media.
Anyone who has information on a crime or recognizes a suspect described by the program is asked to call 480-948-6377, go to the program's website online or download the Silent Witness app to provide a tip. The identity of anyone who submits a tip is kept anonymous.
Calls to Silent Witness are answered 24/7 by a live person and submitted tips are accepted at all times. Submitted tips are then sent to the detective(s) in charge of the specific case.
Individuals who submit tips that lead to an arrest or indictment in the case can get a reward of up to $1,000.
More ways to get 12News
On your phone: Download the 12News app for the latest local breaking news straight to your phone.
On your streaming device: Download 12News+ to your streaming device
The free 12News+ app from 12News lets users stream live events — including daily newscasts like "Today in AZ" and "12 News" and our daily lifestyle program, "Arizona Midday"—on Roku and Amazon Fire TV.
12News+ showcases live video throughout the day for breaking news, local news, weather and even an occasional moment of Zen showcasing breathtaking sights from across Arizona.