April 30 (UPI) — An Arizona law enforcement officer died and five others were injured after a suspect running from police stole a vehicle and drove into several people, officials said Friday.
The Gilbert Police Department said a Final County sheriff’s deputy attempted to perform a traffic stop Thursday night, but the suspect fled in a vehicle and fired shots at the deputy. The suspect, whose name wasn’t released, then drove onto the Chandler Airport runway before driving the wrong way onto the 202 San Tan Freeway and crashing the vehicle.
The GPD said the suspect fled on foot to the San Tan Ford dealership, where he stole a vehicle and attempted to flee the lot, hitting a Chandler police officer, a Gilbert police officer and a janitorial employee at the dealership.
Four California Department of Public Safety troopers and three Pinal County sheriff’s deputies opened fire on the suspect, injuring him. He was taken into custody and transported to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
The CPD said Chandler police officer Christopher Farrar, an 18-year veteran of the force, died after being struck by the suspect’s vehicle.
The GPD said a Gilbert officer, the dealership employee and three DPS troopers all were transported to the hospital with injuries. The GPD officer was in critical condition and the others had minor or non-life-threatening injuries.
