A shoplifting call in Goodyear turned deadly Tuesday after police say a suspect tried to take an officer’s gun during a struggle.
According to the Goodyear Police Department, officers were dispatched around 4 p.m. to a store near Litchfield and McDowell Roads following reports of a theft. The first responding officer found someone matching the suspect’s description and attempted to detain him.
Authorities said the encounter quickly escalated into a physical altercation. During the struggle, the suspect allegedly reached for the officer’s weapon, causing a round to discharge. The officer managed to regain control of the firearm and create distance, but police say the man advanced again, grabbing at the officer’s vest and gun.
“At that point, an officer-involved shooting occurred,” Sgt. Maya Reeson said in a statement. The officer fired his weapon, striking the suspect, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
One officer was taken to a nearby hospital with a minor injury and has since been released. The Avondale Police Department is handling the investigation as part of the West Valley Incident Response Team, which reviews shootings involving police officers in the region.
The Goodyear shooting was one of two deadly police encounters in the Phoenix area that day; another occurred hours later in Queen Creek following a hit-and-run investigation.
