MARICOPA, Ariz. — Three people who ran from a vehicle allegedly involved in a hit-and-run incident have been taken into custody, according to Maricopa police.
At about 9 a.m Friday., police tried to conduct a traffic stop on a car reportedly tied to an incident in the Desert Cedars neighborhood. Three occupants of the suspect's car ran and two of them were quickly detained.
Police pursued the third suspect who was later found in a backyard armed with a rifle. As officers were trying to detain the suspect, police said an "officer-involved shooting occurred." Neither the suspect nor any officers were hit.
Police said the suspect eventually surrendered and was taken into custody. Two firearms were recovered from the scene.
The Pinal County Sheriff's Office will conduct an investigation into the police shooting.
Maricopa police said no further details about the incident are available to disclose at this time.
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What is the Valley?:
“The Valley” is what locals call the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is considered the largest metropolitan area in the Southwest.
The Valley is made up of various major cities other than Phoenix, including:
- Mesa
- Chandler
- Scottsdale
- Tempe
- Glendale
- Surprise
- Peoria
- Gilbert
- El Mirage
- Avondale
- Litchfield Park
- Goodyear
- Buckeye
Whether a city is in the “East Valley” or “West Valley” depends on where it is in relation to Phoenix.
The cities of the Valley have a combined population of 4,845,832 people, according to the 2020 United States Census. This makes it the 11th largest metropolitan area in the country right behind the Boston and Atlanta areas.
How big is Maricopa County?
Maricopa County is the United States’ 4th largest county in terms of population with 4,485,414 people, according to the 2020 Census.
The county contains around 63% of Arizona’s population and is 9,224 square miles. That makes the county larger than seven U.S. states (Rhode Island, Delaware, Connecticut, Hawaii, New Jersey, Massachusetts and New Hampshire).
One of the largest park systems in the nation is also located in Maricopa County. The county has an estimated 120,000 acres of open space parks that includes hundreds of miles of trails, nature centers and campgrounds.
The county’s seat is located in Phoenix, which is also the state capital and the census-designated 5th most populous city in the United States.
The county was named after the Maricopa, or Piipaash, Native American Tribe.
