A gunbattle erupted during an undercover drug operation at a south Phoenix home Wednesday night, killing one Chandler police officer and wounding two others.
A Phoenix police spokesman says two suspects died at the scene, two others are hospitalized with non life-threatening injuries and two more are detained and being questioned.
All three officers were from the Chandler Police Department. Authorities say one of the officers was later pronounced dead at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix. One of the wounded officers is in critical condition at the same hospital while the other is in stable condition.
Authorities say the names of the officers were being withheld until their families can be notified.
TV news helicopters showed the three officers being taken out of the home on stretchers about 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Phoenix police say two of the suspects were pronounced dead at the scene. Police did not disclose details of the drug bust or what triggered the shootout.
The Chandler officer’s death marks the third on-duty death of a Valley police officer this year.
In January, Gilbert Police Lt. Eric Shuhandler was shot near Baseline Road and Val Vista Drive while making a vehicle stop on a car that had an obstructed license plate.
The getaway driver, Daimen Irizarry, 30, was found guilty just last week of charges connected to Shuhandler’s death. The passenger in Irizarry’s vehicle, Christopher Redondo, 35, is set to go on trial next year. His charges include first-degree murder, aggravated assault and drive-by shooting. He is facing the death penalty.
Phoenix Police Officer Travis Murphy was shot and killed in May while investigating a suspicious vehicle. Danny Ledezma Martinez, 30, faces charges of first-degree murder and weapons violations in connection to the case.
rudygo4 posted at 8:23 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
Why would Chandler Police Officers be in South Phoenix ?? OH WELL !! They should have stayed in Chandler. Now a poor family is without a Father,Husband ,Son,what a waste, My heart goes out to the family but not the officers or there department.
AZ Native posted at 8:35 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
Shame on you, rudygo4- people like YOU are what's wrong with this country.
Hotcopone posted at 8:36 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
Rudy
You can't be serious.... They obviously were on an undercover operation and possibly doing a warrant arrest.
THEY WERE DOING THEIR JOBS ... IDIOT !
These men and women put their lives on the line for all of every day and you question why they were in Phx...
You obviously are a complete and total IDIOT with your comments.
Getnvolved posted at 8:42 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
Rudygo4........get an existence. I hope you never have to suffer through a loss like this, even though I would be worried because Karma is something to be scared of, buddy.
How devasting for the family of the fallen officer. Thank you to all the men and women who work so hard and risk so much for our protection.
dsb8920 posted at 8:44 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
@rudygo4, Police officers are police wherever in the state they go. Very often, a case that begins in thier city can go into another city. I'm sure Phoenix PD was assisting in the raid. But to make such a comment that the officer or the department was at fault for the officer's death because they were on the other side of lines on a map is absolutely ridiculous!! I will never understand this blind hatred of police by narrow-minded people like you.
Katianna11 posted at 11:57 pm on Wed, Jul 28, 2010.
Rudy you have no clue to what our men and women do in order to keep our cities and neighborhoods safe. They are our heroes. I pray for them each day. My brother is a retired police officer.
Rayj00 posted at 5:08 am on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
I wonder if there were illegals involved?
And to think, Obama doesn't want Az authorities to uphold immigration law! And neither does he!
What a slap in the face.
Vote out ALL demorats in November!!!
Unisex posted at 6:07 am on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Rudy, what evil comments!
Ray why assume that illegals would be involved?
Optimaone posted at 6:37 am on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Rudy..Do you have children, sisters, N&N..if so, the next time a drug dealer approaches them remember the police officer that died trying to keep him off the streets. Are you willing to go out there and sacrifice your life for strangers like they do, I didn't think so....keep your mouth shut, pray for the rest of the law enforcement that go out everyday hoping to come back alive. As far as I am concerned, they do not get paid enough for what they do.
Chief45 posted at 10:58 am on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Rudy I workl in public safety and we risk our lives daily and even for slugs like you. Let us know where you live so we cannnot respond when you or your family needs help.
stan000 posted at 1:32 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
I can't tell you why the Chandler officers were in Phoenix but I can tell you just how much we appreciate the job the Chandler police do in fighting drugs.
I can tell you why the Chandler police came into our neighborhood and busted a drug house, they got fed up with their teens coming to Gilbert and getting smoked up and then driving home stoned.
The Gilbert police on the other hand ignored months of reports from multiple neighbors and even a pizza delivery guy! Come to think of it the Gilbert police wouldn't even come along on the raid that finally shut the place down.
Several of us went to a council meeting to complain about that and as usual we got fobbed off with no results.
love2swim posted at 2:01 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Rudy, comments like yours assuming the illegals were involved is why I am reconsidering my plans to retire in Arizona. Maybe they were, but why not wait for the facts?
jimg17 posted at 3:28 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
A family member of mine is on this task force and was directly involved in the incident.
This comment is directed to "rudygo4". I must assume of course you are troubled in some way.
No one of real substance would have ever have your take on this.
If this is "a waste" in your immature or troubled mind you have zero understanding of worth.
It is the men and women of these task forces doing what they do 24/7 that allows people like you, someone of far less substance to rest comfortably at night.
Jim
chick posted at 3:36 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
why is this story not front and center? this paper serves chandler. instead we have a big pic of a protester of SB1070. why is rudy's crude posts still on here?
emrahess posted at 5:45 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
My heart goes out to this family. He used to be a cop here and he was an amazing person. There is nothing but respect that should be shown to him and his family or any officer that puts their life at risk to keep us safe.
what goes around posted at 7:19 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Something seems fishy here....i'm just saying.....Anyone seen "Training Day"
Arizonaindian posted at 8:53 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
Is it really asking too much to have the Names of the Cop Killers Published ?
RadialExcision posted at 10:44 pm on Thu, Jul 29, 2010.
This place stinks of right wing bias. I'm sure he was a nice person but you have to realize that money is money, and if you're trying to cheat a dealer out of HIS money and HIS product, even if it's not drugs, they WILL respond in a negative way. Marijuana is in NO WAY dangerous and any and all claims refuting this are false by default.
Cops are wasting their LIVES(literally), TIME, and MONEY by going after people who wouldn't have a thing to worry about if Marijuana was a legal and taxed entity. The only reason people are carrying weapons on them is because THIS SORT OF THING IS TOO COMMON. Legalize it and it'll probably be dealt less and we'll have a lot less dead cops. It's really that simple.
Besides, this article seems like a set-up for making people vote "no" come the ballots. If you're uneducated and biased towards something you've NEVER tried before you have NO LIBERTY WHATSOEVER to have an opinion on whether or not it should be legal. It's really that simple. For the record I have nothing personally against any Cops until I talk to them and can make a valid decision as to what kind of person they are.
GasFree posted at 6:54 pm on Thu, Nov 4, 2010.
Guess what? They weren't undercover. They were in south Phoenix to sell drugs. Why do you think the Chandler police were in south Phoenix? To sell marijuana in the ghetto.. Drug deal gone bad. The stuff the news feeds the public..*sigh*