A Mesa police officer was hospitalized and a suspect was killed following a shooting early Wednesday near Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, authorities said.
The incident began just after 2 a.m. when officers responded to a trespassing call near Sossaman and Ray roads. According to the Mesa Police Department, the suspect fled after confronting officers in a parking lot.
Police used a Grappler device — a front-mounted tool that deploys a net to stop fleeing vehicles — to disable the suspect’s car. When the vehicle was immobilized, officers attempted to gain compliance using less-lethal methods, but the suspect continued to resist.
During the standoff, the man allegedly fired from inside his car, striking one officer. The injured officer was transported to a hospital and is in stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Other officers at the scene returned fire. A short time later, they heard another gunshot from inside the suspect’s vehicle and found him slumped over. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity, and it remains unclear whether he was killed by police gunfire or a self-inflicted wound.
Sossaman Road was temporarily closed between Ray and Pecos roads during the investigation, though access to Gateway Airport remained open from the south.
The Gilbert Police Department is leading the investigation as part of the East Valley Critical Incident Response Team, which reviews officer-involved shootings across the region.
