Tempe Police ID stepfather and suspect in police shooting incident
TEMPE, Ariz. - Tempe Police officials have identified the victim and the suspect in an August incident that involved a police shooting.
In a brief statement released on Sept. 11, police identified the victim in the case as 77-year-old Roland B. Jahnke, and the suspect as 55-year-old Robert Purdie. Police said Jahnke was Purdie's stepfather.
"[Purdie] has not been officially charged due to him still receiving medical treatment. Once he is released from medical care, we will release his charges," a portion of the statement reads.
The shooting happened on Aug. 16 at the Meadows mobile home park.
Per our previous report, officers responded to a mobile home park in the area of 48th Street and Southern Avenue on Aug. 16, following a 911 call in which the a 74-year-old woman believed her son killed her husband.
"Officers contacted the woman at the entrance of the mobile home park. After she provided further information, officers surrounded the residence and made announcements for her son to come out. The son came out of the home with a gun and refused to drop it after orders from police," police said at the time of the incident.
Police say the suspect first turned the gun on himself before pointing it at police, prompting an officer to open fire. The officer was identified as a 16-year veteran of Tempe Police.
Tempe Police say they are still investigating Jahnke's death, while Mesa Police investigators are looking into the police shooting.
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