Suspect dead following police shooting in Mesa

MESA, Ariz. - Police say a suspect is dead following an officer-involved shooting in Mesa.

According to police, the shooting happened near Mesa Drive and Brown Road. No officers were injured.

The suspect was identified as 20-year-old Ny'Kendreon Pride. He was accused of committing several armed robberies in the area.

Suspect had weapon on him, according to police

Mesa Police officers along with members of the U.S. Marshals Arizona Wanted Task Force were reportedly in the area at around 1:30 p.m. to look for an armed robbery suspect.

Police said they believe the suspect was involved in three local robberies in a matter of hours, including one that happened on the night of Aug. 2 at a drug store, and another one at the same drug store at around 12:45 p.m. on Aug. 3.

The suspect, identified as an adult man in his early 20s, was eventually contacted by officers.

"What we know so far is that the suspect had a handgun, and an officer-involved shooting occurred," said Mesa Police Detective Brandi George, during a news conference.

The suspect, according to police, was given life-saving measures prior to crews with Mesa Fire-Medical arriving at the scene. The suspect was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead at around 2:00 p.m. No other injuries were reported.

According to police, the exact details of the moments leading up to the shooting are still under investigation.

The officer involved in the shooting was identified as a Mesa Police officer who was acting under the umbrella of the U.S. Marshals Task Force.

Area resident speaks out

The scene of the shooting disturbed Shandi Wright, who lives near Mesa and Brown.

"I’ve lived here for seven years and walk alone at night. I’ve never felt uneasy, I’ve felt pretty safe, but lately, not so much. This is a little unnerving," said Wright.

The shooting happened across the street from Wright, where there was a heavy police presence for some time after the shooting.

"It was a little unnerving to come out and see so many police. There’s a lot of police," said Wright.

Wright didn't know it at the time, but the heavy police presence was tied to something she experienced earlier in the day.

She says her manager told her there was a robbery that morning.

"I was on my way to work, came around the corner, and saw that our job had been taped off," said Wright. "We were robbed. It was at gunpoint, and the young lady that happened to, she is at home, she is safe, but pretty shaken up, from what I understood."

As officers worked outside examining evidence, Wright says it was right next to her son's bus stop. His bus was rerouted back to school on the first day of class.

"This would have been incredibly traumatic for our kids to pull up and see all this," she said.

Mesa police say they are looking at a few leads that indicate that the suspect might have lived or was staying at an apartment complex just a short distance away from the stores he allegedly robbed.

This is a developing story. Stay with us for updates.

Area where the shooting happened: