PEORIA, Ariz. — Phoenix police released the name of the suspect who shot a police officer in Peoria on Friday morning. The suspect, who died following the shooting, was 30-year-old Junior Reyes, police said.
The incident occurred near 87th Avenue and Bell Road in Peoria just after 10 a.m. on Friday. At a press conference on Friday afternoon, Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan said the officer who was shot was conducting a fugitive investigation.
Reyes was a "prohibited possessor" and had an outstanding felony warrant out for his arrest, police said. According to Maricopa County Superior court records, Reyes had prior arrests for drug transportation and a prior conviction for misconduct involving weapons.
Reyes was being tracked by police and was located, and then an apprehension was attempted, police said.
During the apprehension, Reyes produced a handgun and "engaged in gunfire with multiple officers," police said. Three officers fired "lethal weapons" and one officer fired a "less lethal weapon."
The shootout between officers and Reyes was heard by some employees at Liberty Buick, while others saw the aftermath of the incident.
“Within five minutes, I see an ambulance, a fire truck and whatever I'm going, ‘What in God's green earth, you know, what's going on?’,” Rita Hillison said. “And then I thought, ‘Well, hopefully nobody got hurt in service. That's my initial reaction. I would have never in a million years thought it would be a shooting.”
A bullet from the shootout also hit a window at the dealership.
“If we wouldn't have been in our meeting, there would have been people in those offices right there when it happened,” Michael Murphy said.
Both the officer and Reyes were transported to local hospitals, police said.
According to the Phoenix Police Department, the officer was shot in the lower leg. The officer is expected to make a full recovery and has already been released from the hospital, police said. Reyes died following the shooting.
"[He] had been violent against our officers in the past," Sullivan said at the press conference. "The loss of life of any member of our community is never the outcome we want."
Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego also spoke at the press conference. Gallego spoke with several officers who worked with the officer who was shot, who all said he is one of Phoenix's best.
"We are starting this year in a way we did not want to, with a member of the Phoenix Police Department shot in the line of duty," Gallego said. "Our officers go to work every day so we can breathe more easily, and its hard to have days like this."
An internal investigation will be conducted by the Phoenix police department and a criminal investigation will be conducted by the Peoria police department, police said.
Police did not give any more details regarding what led up to the shooting or the name of the officer who was shot.
This is a developing story and more details will be added as they are made available.
Watch 12News+ for free
You can now watch 12News content anytime, anywhere thanks to the 12News+ app!
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.
Users can also watch on-demand videos of top stories, local politics, I-Team investigations, Arizona-specific features and vintage videos from the 12News archives.
Roku: Add the channel from the Roku store or by searching for "12 News KPNX."
Amazon Fire TV: Search for "12 News KPNX" to find the free 12News+ app to add to your account, or have the 12News+ app delivered directly to your Amazon Fire TV through Amazon.com or the Amazon app.
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.
Up to Speed
Catch up on the latest news and stories on the 12News YouTube channel. Subscribe today.