Phoenix police officer shoots, critically wounds unarmed man

BrieAnna J. Frank | Arizona Republic

Show Caption Hide Caption Phoenix police officer shoots unarmed man in west Phoenix A Phoenix police officer shot and critically wounded an unarmed man in west Phoenix after chasing him on foot.

A Phoenix police officer shot and critically wounded an unarmed man in a west Phoenix neighborhood Sunday afternoon, officials said.

Phoenix police spokeswoman Sgt. Mercedes Fortune said two police officers responded around 4 p.m. to a call about possible drug activity in an alley near 21st Avenue and Heatherbrae Drive.

When the officers arrived, they saw two people in the alley who ran away, Fortune said. An officer chased one man and caught up to him about a block away near 21st and Glenrosa avenues, she said.

The officer fired at the man and wounded him critically, according to Fortune. The man was taken to the hospital and remained in critical condition Sunday night.

The officer received minor injuries and will return later to aid in the investigation, Fortune said.

The second man in the alley has not been found, she said.

Officials are looking into why the officer shot the man, Fortune said.

This is the 63rd shooting involving an officer The Republic has reported on in Maricopa County in 2018.

Phoenix police last month tied the department's record for shootings by officers in a year.

There were 21 police shootings in 2017; 25 in 2016; and 17 in 2015, according to department data. The previous high of 31 in 2013 spurred a study with Arizona State University.

The Phoenix City Council recently voted to conduct a new, independent study to understand what is driving the uptick in police shootings.

Similar-sized cities San Antonio and Philadelphia, respectively, have had eight and four police shootings so far this year.

This is a developing story. Check azcentral.com for updates.

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