PHOENIX — A Phoenix police officer was shot following an armed robbery attempt in south Phoenix, authorities said.
Phoenix police said at least three suspects attempted an armed robbery of a vehicle in a parking lot near 35th and Southern avenues around 11:30 p.m. Friday. During the attempt, a Phoenix police officer working in an off-duty capacity at a nearby business was notified and told what happened.
The officer approached the area to make contact with the people involved. At least one of the suspects, who was armed with a handgun, began to fire at the officer. Officials said the officer suffered multiple gunshot wounds during the encounter and did not fire his firearm.
Interim Police Chief Michael Sullivan described the incident as a "violent attack" and an "ambush."
"As police chief, the last call you want to get is a call like I did last night," Sullivan said at a news conference on Saturday. "I can only imagine what the families felt when they received that same call."
Police said the officer who was injured has been stabilized and remains in the hospital. They say he has been with the department for seven years and is a father, husband and son.
12News spoke with a woman, who only wanted to be identified by her first name, Yulanda, who lives in the area about the attack.
"I've heard of things happening over here, but now to actually see it, it's a different thing, so there's an uh oh feeling," Yulanda said. "It's really sad you come out on a Saturday and see the heavy police presence. It's nerve-wracking. It's a lot of families out here. What do you tell your kids?"
The suspects involved in the incident took off from the area before additional officers arrived, police said.
The officer was taken to a nearby hospital for non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in the hospital and in stable condition, police said.
"I'm going to encourage the folks involved in this incident to turn themselves in," Sullivan said. "We will not rest, we will not stop until we hold them to account for their crimes to the fullest extent of the law."
12News also spoke with the owners of the car involved in the attempted robbery. They were too shaken up to talk on camera, but said everything happened very quickly.
Police warn that the suspects involved in this shooting should be considered armed and dangerous.
Investigators are continuing to search for surveillance video of the shooting from nearby businesses and are asking anyone who was in the area at the time or who left before investigators arrived to reach out to police so investigators can get more information.
Police are also asking specifically for anyone with video of the shooting to share it with the department.
Anyone with information about this incident is asked to contact the Phoenix Police Department or to call Silent Witness at 480(WITNESS) or 480(TESTIGO) and provide an anonymous tip.
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