PHOENIX — A driver was taken into custody Wednesday after they allegedly struck a law enforcement officer's vehicle in Phoenix and then ran away on foot.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety said an officer attempted to stop the driver for speeding at 115 mph on Interstate 17 but the suspect would not pull over. The driver then got off the freeway and almost hit a DPS trooper.
DPS said the same suspect then hit a sergeant's vehicle, who was not injured.
The suspect's car eventually came to a stop and the driver fled. Law enforcement officials later took the suspect into custody after they were found hiding in a resident's backyard.
The suspect, identified as 18-year-old Joseph Slowik, faces charges of aggravated assault, endangerment, felony flight, burglary and reckless driving.
UP TO SPEED
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.
