PHOENIX — Authorities say a 30-year-old man is facing assault charges for reportedly shooting at Phoenix police officers near 1st and Roosevelt streets late Sunday night.
The man told police that the found the gun abandoned somewhere, and shot in the air to scare away the police officers, court documents showed.
Phoenix police said officers were dispatched to the area at about 8:30 p.m. for a separate call when a man, later identified as 30-year-old Anthony Jones, approached the officers and attempted to ask a question.
One of the officers reportedly saw a gun in Jones's pants pocket and told him that he needed to back away. Jones complied and walked away after a few more words, but was then stopped by police "due to his erratic behavior."
Court documents did not specify the nature of that alleged erratic behavior.
After officers signaled for Jones to stop, he allegedly refused to stop and ran from the police.
Officers reportedly saw Jones draw his gun from his pants before carrying it in hand. During the chase, police saw Jones fire at least two shots. No one was injured.
Jones allegedly continued to fire several rounds while running away before he disappeared from their sight. Security footage from a nearby gym showed Jones entering the men's locker room, changing clothes, and leaving.
Officers conducted a large-scale search of the area for Jones Sunday night, eventually leading them to the apartment building where Jones lived.
When Jones left the building the next day, he was arrested with a Glock and ammunition in his possession. Jones said that he had bought the ammunition, but the gun was just "found abandoned," police reported.
After being arrested, Jones reportedly told police that he had contacted the officers but then ran from them "out of fear of the officers causing him some type of harm."
Jones also reportedly admitted to "shooting the gun in the air to scare police away," but said he didn't fire directly at the officers.
Police said that Jones was booked into jail on multiple offenses, including aggravated assault on a police officer.
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