Overview
- Police say the incident began around 2 a.m. on March 22 after multiple 911 calls reported gunfire near 40th Street and Thomas Road.
- Air crews located a man on an apartment patio who raised a handgun and fired at the helicopter, then fired again as officers evacuated nearby units and deployed a drone.
- SWAT officers shot the suspect after the second volley toward the aircraft; he was taken to a hospital with life-threatening injuries and a handgun was recovered at the scene.
- The helicopter made an emergency landing nearby to check for damage, and authorities reported no injuries to officers or bystanders and no evidence the aircraft was struck.
- Arizona DPS is investigating the shooting; it follows recent arrests of Burton Wesley Smith and Duane Marcus Bryant in a March 16 helicopter gunfire case and the booking of Jordan Garcia Morales in a separate March 21 incident for allegedly pointing a gun at an air unit.