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Officer out of surgery after being shot in leg
Officer shot in the leg during a traffic stop is out of surgery and recovering. FOX 10's Ashlie Rodgriguez has the story
PHOENIX - A shooting early Tuesday morning in south Phoenix left an officer hurt and a suspect dead.
The incident happened just before 3 a.m. on May 28 during a traffic stop near 10th Street and Southern Avenue. The suspect was on a bicycle and fired at an officer, Phoenix Police said. The officer's partner fired back, striking the suspect.
The officer was shot in the leg, but the injuries are believed to be non-life-threatening. He is now recovering at a Valley hospital.
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Officer in ICU after being shot in Phoenix
A Phoenix Police officer is set to undergo surgery after being shot in the leg by a suspect, police said. The suspect died after being shot by another officer. FOX 10's Irene Snyder reports.
"Both the suspect and our officer were taken to local hospitals," Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan said. "Our officer, I talked to him earlier today, he's in the ICU awaiting surgery. The suspect did not survive his wounds."
The suspect was identified as 48-year-old Sergio Alvarez.
This was the third shooting of a Phoenix Police officer this year.
Southern Avenue was closed between 7th and 13th Streets due to the investigation.
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The 10th Street and Southern Avenue neighborhood
"This was just a random traffic stop. And an officer had to get shot for it. It could have been a simple traffic stop. And now look what happened," said Samantha Edwards, a south Phoenix resident.
Residents in the area were jolted awake by the sound of gunshots, police sirens, and command vehicles.
Edwards says this wasn't the first white van she's seen.
"No m’am. That’s not my first. That’s about my two or third time seeing a white van in this neighborhood. Just let alone on 10th Street and Southern."
The neighborhood soon learned the gravity of the situation. This time around, it was a police officer, being transported by ambulance to an area hospital, after police say officers stopped a man on a bicycle. For reasons unknown, a struggle ensued.
It's not clear how many shots the officer let off, but the suspect was dead by the time he got to the hospital.
Map of where the shooting happened
"This is the third officer shot this year in the line of duty. I’ve also had an officer stabbed in the line of duty. It’s indicative of the violence that officers face out here on the street and on a regular basis," said Phoenix Police Chief Michael Sullivan.
Edwards says she's thankful the officer will survive. Her neighborhood, filled with families and small children, has become rife with drugs and senseless violence – and they rely on the police to keep them safe.
"Let me tell you like I tell everybody. They are first to put their lives on the line for you when anything happens. I just think that people need to have a lot more respect for law enforcement."
The suspect's name has not been released. We only know that he is a felon, according to the police union. Officials have not stated why pulled the suspect over.