Suspect identified following deadly Chandler traffic stop; officer injured

CHANDLER, Ariz. - A Chandler police officer was recovering Monday after he was injured during a traffic stop that led to a suspect being shot and killed.

The incident started when the officer attempted a traffic stop near a hotel off of Interstate 10, according to police spokesman Seth Tyler.

Within a few minutes, the officer called for backup. Responding officers found a Prius that had crashed into a wall. The distressed officer was inside the Prius along with a man and a woman, Tyler said.

The man, identified Monday afternoon as 32-year-old Kevin Smallman, was pronounced dead.

Investigators say the officer was knocked unconscious during an altercation and fired his weapon. The officer came to when officers pulled him out of the vehicle, Tyler said. His injuries were not life-threatening.

The woman in the car was arrested.

It's not clear why the officer wanted to stop the car. The investigation remains ongoing.