Nine Phoenix police officers were injured after a man placed a baby on a porch during a standoff early Friday morning.
The incident happened in south Phoenix, near 54th Avenue and Elwood Street, police said. A little after 2 a.m., a woman at the residence called 911 and said she had been shot. When a responding officer arrived, a man at the residence invited him to come in, but as the officer walked closer, the man opened fire.
“He was actually invited by the suspect. As he approached the doorway, the suspect ambushed him with a gun and shot him several times,” Phoenix Police Chief Jeri Williams said, according to AZ Family.
The officer retreated to safety while backup arrived. Shortly after, police surrounded the house as a man stepped outside and placed a newborn baby on the porch, then lifted his hands to show he didn’t have a weapon.
The man began walking backward at the officers’ commands, with his hands in the air. That’s when another man began shooting again, injuring the officers.
The baby was unharmed but four additional officers were shot and another four officers were injured by shell fragments. Williams said he doesn’t believe the man who left the baby on the porch was involved with the ambush.
“[There’s] no information to suggest that he’s part of the ambush, but it’s an ongoing investigation,” Williams said.
When police gained entry to the home, they found a man inside, deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. The woman who made the 911 call was also inside the residence, injured from a gunshot wound.
Investigators are still trying to piece together how the people involved in the incident are connected.
“This is senseless, doesn’t need to happen and [it] continues to happen over and over again,” Williams said, referring to other instances of police officers getting shot.
The story continues to develop. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Screenshot/OnScene TV]
