Knife-wielding suspect shot by police

A suspect was hospitalized on Monday morning after being shot by a Phoenix Police sergeant during an altercation involving a knife. The incident began when officers responded to an assault near 27th Avenue and Bell Road shortly after 11 a.m.

Upon receiving a description of the suspect, a sergeant located him riding a bicycle near 31st Avenue and Bell Road. Despite being ordered to stop, the man refused and fled towards an apartment complex near 33rd Avenue and Bell Road, where he was momentarily lost. The sergeant then searched the complex and eventually found the suspect.

When the sergeant ordered the man to get on the ground, he ran away, initiating a chase. The suspect suddenly stopped and turned around, revealing a knife in his hand. A second officer arrived on the scene and deployed a stun gun on the suspect, ordering him to drop the knife. However, the man lunged at the sergeant with the weapon, prompting the sergeant to shoot him.

The suspect, whose identity has not yet been disclosed, was hospitalized and is in stable condition. No officers sustained injuries during the encounter.

This incident marks the 26th officer-involved shooting in Maricopa County and the 32nd in Arizona in 2023.