A harrowing episode of gunplay unfolded last month on the streets of Chandler, involving a convicted felon who is now behind bars on a multitude of charges. 32-year-old Cody Charles Long has been incarcerated following his alleged violent confrontation with police after a domestic dispute, per police documents reviewed by ABC15. The incident, which occurred around 11:30 p.m. on March 22, began with a distress call from a hotel near Interstate 10 and Chandler Boulevard, and swiftly escalated into gunfire.
Police were responding to reports of domestic violence when Long allegedly attacked the victim, restraining her and threatening her with a handgun before fleeing. Long reportedly also attempted to strangle the victim and seized her phone to prevent her calling for help, authorities stated. When officers encountered Long outside the hotel, he began shooting at them, hitting their patrol car multiple times. In the fray that ensued, officers shot Long, who was subsequently hospitalized with serious injuries.
The woman victimized in the domestic altercation was treated for multiple injuries, indicative of assault and strangulation. No officers were seriously harmed during the altercation, but some reported minor injuries related to hearing damage and glass shrapnel. Investigators say that Long, a convicted felon with a history of crime, was in illegal possession of the recovered firearm, which had an altered serial number, according to police.
Following his release from medical care, Long was booked on over a dozen charges, "including attempted first-degree murder, assault, criminal damage, kidnapping, and weapons charges," as reported by ABC15. Meanwhile, ABC15 also disclosed that this violent engagement is the 17th such police-involved shooting in the Valley this year. None of the officers were injured in the incident. Long's charges also include aggravated assault - strangulation and kidnapping, as well as aggravated assault on a peace officer, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
The videos from the scene at the hotel underline the gravity and the peril that materialized on an otherwise ordinary night in Chandler.
