Man shot, killed by Tempe officers linked to other 'racially motivated' crimes: police
TEMPE, Ariz. - A man who was killed in an officer-involved shooting last week in Tempe has been linked to two other crimes that are believed to be racially motivated, police said.
Tempe Police say 27-year-old Jason Fox shot an officer during a traffic stop at around 9 p.m. on Oct. 1 near College Avenue and Curry Road.
Other officers at the scene returned fire, killing Fox.
The officer who was shot was treated at a hospital and released.
Suspect accused of committing ‘racially motivated’ crimes prior to police shooting
Jason Fox, 27, was killed in an officer-involved shooting near College Avenue and Curry Road on Oct. 1.
Hours before the officer-involved shooting, police say Fox, who is white, targeted people who identify as Black or African American, in "racially motivated" crimes.
The first incident happened just before midnight on Sept. 30, when Fox allegedly confronted two people near the Mill Avenue Bridge.
"[Fox] shouted racial slurs at the couple, and brandished a handgun, before taking off," police said.
Less than 20 minutes later, police say Fox yelled racial slurs at a group of people at Tempe Beach Park before pulling out a gun and shooting a man in the face.
"The exact words that were used, they were inflammatory, very aggressive racial slurs," said Tempe Police spokesperson Jessica Ells.
Time was a key factor in detaining Fox. In less than 24 hours, he was tracked down by Tempe Police.
Investigators say when they tried to take Fox into custody in connection to the alleged crimes, the officer-involved shooting occurred.
"They attempted to detain him," Ells said. "He shot our Tempe Police detective."
Tempe Police are still looking for other victims or witnesses that may have been in the park in the early hours of Oct. 1.
"If anyone has happened to encounter or had an encounter with Fox in the past, or if they were also a witness to either incident," Ells said.
The individual that was shot in the face has undergone reconstructive surgery and was released from the hospital on Oct. 8. The detective who was shot by Fox is expected to return back to work on Oct. 9.
Tempe Police ask anyone with additional information on the incidents to contact them at 480-350-8311.
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